Strasbourg, 07/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Wednesday of the report by British Conservative John Bowis on mental health in Europe, the European Parliament calls on the European Commission to develop, as a follow-up to the Green Paper, a directive on mental health in Europe and on the defence of the civil and fundamental rights of persons suffering from mental problems. He hopes emphasis will be placed on prevention.
The Parliament considers that the gender dimension has not been duly taken into account in the Green Paper. It calls for this dimension to be systematically included in measures proposed to promote mental health, and in preventive and research actions, where studies have so far been insufficient and inadequate to the point that progress made for prevention and care in the case of mental illness is considerably less than that for other illnesses. It stresses the need to reflect on the best way to use the Community instruments available, such as the 7th Framework Programme for Research. It also underlines how important it is to have compulsory early screening for detection and diagnosis and to administer integrated tailor-made treatment. The Parliament also requests that persons with learning difficulties should be included in the future strategy, as they are confronted by the same problems as those suffering from mental illness, namely social exclusion, being placed in an institution, the violation of human rights, discrimination, stigmatisation and the lack of support for themselves, their families and carers. It also calls for a greater effort to be made to recognise highly gifted children or adolescents as such and to give them greater encouragement.
The Parliament considers that population ageing in Europe is one of the main challenges of a mental health policy and calls for emphasis to be placed more on seeking mechanisms and causes of neurodegenerative diseases and other psychiatric problems that affect the elderly and old as well as on prevention and care. It also considers that emphasis should be placed on the link between alcohol and illegal drug consumption and mental health. It calls on the Commission to rapidly investigate the most effective detoxification programmes and treatment methods.
The Parliament considers that: (1) the use of force is counterproductive, as is forced medication; (2) any form of care in a closed environment and forced medication should be limited in duration and, as far as possible, regularly reviewed and carried out solely with the patient's agreement or, failing this, as a last resort, with the approval of a civil authority; (3) it is appropriate to avoid all form of restriction to the freedom of persons, in particular internment measures, which require follow-up, control and vigilance on the part of democratic institutions. The Parliament stresses the need to provide general health practitioners, and other health care professionals, with permanent training in mental health. It takes a stance in favour of treatment established on the basis of a dual diagnosis. The Parliament supports the Commission's observations relating to internment, in that long-term stays in psychiatric establishments can lead to prolongation or aggravation of the mental illness and reinforces social exclusion and stigmatisation, although it does recognise that it is necessary to deploy greater effort to convince the public that the results are better when the community takes care of persons suffering from severe mental problems or severe learning difficulties.
Finally, the Parliament again draws attention to the large number of children who, in some Member States, especially the new States, grow up in State housing centres. It urges the Commission to more effectively support the setting up of different systems to help parents duly look after their children. It calls for the project on the mental health of children and adolescents in an enlarged Europe, with the development of effective policies and practice, to be launched as soon as possible and effectively implemented.