On World Mental Health Day, Tuesday 10 October, at a high-level conference on the subject, the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, defended the European Commission’s new approach to mental health, which makes “prevention, access to quality care and treatment and reintegration after recovery its three guiding principles”.
In particular, the Commission has a European initiative for the prevention of depression and suicide and a European Code for Mental Health (see EUROPE 13196/1).
In addition, according to Commissioner Kyriakides, there are specific flagship programmes for victims of crime and young cancer survivors.
The Commissioner also cited a European initiative on work-related psychosocial risks and two European workplace campaigns. One very important initiative is aimed at training healthcare professionals.
“Above all, we will use best practice and awareness-raising to put an end to stigma and discrimination. The silence must be broken”, she said.
A new Eurobarometer survey on mental health, published on Monday 9 October, revealed that nine out of ten respondents (89%) believe that promoting mental health is as important as promoting physical health. At the same time, less than half of respondents agree with the statement that people with mental health problems receive the same level of care as people with physical ailments. In addition, almost half of respondents (46%) have experienced an emotional or psychosocial problem, such as depression or anxiety, in the last twelve months. According to the survey, more than half of respondents (54%) with a mental health problem had not received help from a professional. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)