Op-ed written by Mental Health Europe.
For over 35 years, we at Mental Health Europe (MHE) – the largest independent European network representing different stakeholders in the mental health field – have been stressing that there is no health without mental health. Our vision is that of a Europe where everybody’s mental health can flourish across their life course.
It is time to act together to turn this vision into reality. How can we achieve this?
First, we need to acknowledge that every person’s mental health is an intrinsic part of their human experience and, as such, is influenced by a variety of factors, including wider socio-economic and environmental factors, or life events. Hence, mental health cannot be addressed exclusively within the health sector. We need to create favourable conditions in other fields and policies, by ensuring that everyone’s right to education, housing, employment, health, clean environment, etcetera is respected. Understanding mental health and its socio-economic determinants calls for a ‘mental health in all policies’ approach and entails a shift in focus: from treatment only to also working on prevention and promotion.
Promoting good mental health creates win-win situations, with positive outcomes beyond the health ones (such as increased productivity at work, reduction of school dropouts). A recent study shows that higher levels of mental wellbeing are associated with lower productivity loss or costs caused by sick leave. Improvements in mental wellbeing may generate a positive return on investment in the very short term. Hence, programs and policies that promote mental wellbeing are well worth the effort from a financial perspective.
The importance of addressing mental health in all policies – and the economic argument behind it – is increasingly recognized by EU institutions. In October 2022, Commissioner Kyriakides emphasised the need to address mental health in a comprehensive way, including at home, in schools, at work, and in the health system. She stressed that investing in mental health is an investment in our people, our economies and our societies. MHE is leading a thematic network “Mental Health in all Policies” on DG SANTE’s Health Policy Platform, a platform – open to all interested stakeholders – in order to share experiences and to provide policy recommendations.
If prevention and promotion are crucial, we cannot underestimate the situation of those who are already experiencing mental ill-health. We need to ensure that they have access to good quality mental health support and care. This should be provided in the community, in order to contribute to independent living and community inclusion.
We believe that human rights have to be the cornerstone of mental health care provision. No coercion or forced treatment should be tolerated. MHE – together with EDF and many stakeholders – has been tirelessly advocating for the withdrawal of the draft additional protocol to the Council of Europe Oviedo Convention, because it violates the human rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have achieved an important success: the adoption of the draft has been suspended until the end of 2024. This decision by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe gives clear instructions to halt the current process and to work further towards respecting the autonomy and the consensual nature of mental healthcare.
International human rights law also demands that people with lived experience, and organizations representing them, are involved in all decisions that impact them, at policy and service level, in a meaningful, not tokenistic way.
The principles highlighted above guide our action and we have been calling for their incorporation into a European Strategy on Mental Health for many years. The recent announcement by the President of the European Commission of a European initiative on mental health seems to indicate that things are moving in the right direction. For the initiative to be impactful, it needs to be a comprehensive Strategy with benchmarks, indicators, monitoring mechanisms and an adequate budget. Such a Strategy should complement actions at national, regional and local level.
We at MHE believe that mental health, far from being an individual issue, is societal in nature and requires actions at all levels and in all policies.
We all have a role to play.
Contact
Francesca Centola, MHE Policy and Knowledge Officer
francesca.centola@mhe-sme.org