Better mental health for a healthier Union

In 2022, the European Mental Health Week is organised on 9-13 May. This pan-European initiative is run by the NGO Mental Health Europe (MHE), in order to raise awareness on the importance of mental health. This year’s theme is ‘Speak Up for Mental Health’.

The European Commission supports efforts to improve the mental health of the Union. This work has been continued during the COVID-19 pandemic which has triggered an increase in stress, anxiety, fear, sadness and loneliness.

Among the EU’s ambitious response to COVID-19, the EU4Health programme tackles mental health as part of its actions to improve and foster health in the Union. Under the Horizon Europe programme (and its predecessor Horizon 2020), the Commission also invests in projects promoting mental health as well as those aiming to prevent, diagnose and treat mental illnesses.

In celebration of European Mental Health Week, we have compiled a selection of such actions and projects.

EAAD-Best

Funded under the third EU health programme (predecessor of EU4Health), the project is implementing in eight different countries the iFightDepression® tool, a guided, online-based self-management programme for people suffering from mild to moderate forms of depression. 

The project has also produced videos about depression and mental health care in nine EU languages.

Joint Action on Implementation of Best Practices in the area of Mental Health (JA ImpleMENTAL)

Last November, the European Commission has launched the ImpleMENTAL Joint Action with the aim to promote collaboration and share best practices in the field of mental health. The new Joint Action focuses on the implementation of two best practices, Mental health reform in Belgium and Suicide Prevention Austria (SUPRA), which will be transferred and implemented as a pilot in the participating countries.

Open call for proposals on promoting mental health

As part of the 2022 first wave of calls under EU4Health, this action will provide support to stakeholders in implementing best practices promoting children and adolescent mental health and well-being, with a focus on vulnerable groups, such as children living in deprived areas. Deadline: 24 May.

Open Call for mental health assistance for displaced people from Ukraine
HaDEA has launched a call under the EU4Health programme to provide mental health and psychosocial support to displaced people from Ukraine. With a total budget of €2 million, the call will support the exchange of best practices and increase awareness and knowledge-sharing in support of health professionals. Deadline: 31 May.

UPRIGHT

Funded under Horizon 2020, UPRIGHT has been working on promoting mental wellbeing among adolescents. It has designed a training programme in personal and community resilience for 17 schools from five countries, teaching mental health skills across four categories: coping, efficacy, social and emotional learning, and mindfulness. With regard to COVID-19, the project has managed to reverse the trend of deteriorating youth mental health.

EMPOWER

The European platforM to PromOte Wellbeing and HEalth in the woRkplace (EMPOWER) is a Horizon 2020 project aimed at reducing the impact of mental health problems at the workplace. The objective of the project is to create an eHealth platform to improve awareness and wellbeing. It will do so by compiling the most feasible, brief and cost-effective interventions currently available in Europe.

Magnet4Europe

Funded under Horizon 2020, the Magnet4Europe project promotes the mental health and wellbeing of health professionals to enhance their productivity. The project uses an innovative approach where hospitals receive a full redesign to make them safer and more fulfilling work environments. The ultimate aim is to improve health professionals’ mental health and wellbeing as well as patients’ safety in more than 60 hospitals in six European countries.

MENTUPP

The MENTUPP project focuses on promoting mental health in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the construction, health and ICT sectors. This Horizon 2020 project brings together experts in mental health, suicide prevention, depression, stigma, implementation science and health economics from 13 countries.

H-WORK

The objective of H-WORK is to promote mental health by creating policy recommendations for employers, occupational health professionals and policy makers. This Horizon 2020 project has developed a protocol dedicated to the evaluation of psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. It ultimately aims at testing the effectiveness of interventions.

MindBot 

Funded under Horizon 2020, MindBot’s goal is to support the mental health of workers in automated manufacturing. This includes factors like stress, over- and under- challenge as well as motivation. The project is developing a prototype platform which will be implemented and tested in selected workplaces.

 

Background

Since 2003, the first, second and third health programmes have implemented the EU health strategy. The EU4Health programme is the latest and largest one to date in monetary terms, with a budget of €5.3 billion in current prices. EU4Health provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and public procurement, contributing to a healthier Europe.

Horizon 2020 (H2020) was the EU’s multiannual funding programme between 2014 and 2020. H2020 provided Research and Innovation (R&I) funding for multi-national collaboration projects as well as for individual researchers and SMEs via special funding instruments. Horizon 2020 continues as  Horizon Europe programme, which will run until 2027.

Relevant links

Mental health policy

Healthier Together initiative