Mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention across

200 Pages·2006·3.17 MB·English

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Mental health promotion and
mental disorder prevention across
European Member States: a collection
of country stories
(Second edition)

Mental health promotion and
mental disorder prevention across
European Member States: a collection
of country stories
European Commission
Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on its behalf is responsible for any use that might be
made of the following information.

The information contained in this publication does not necessarily reflect the opinion or the position of the European
Commission.

European Network on Mental Health Promotion and Mental Disorder Prevention

Implementing Mental
Health Promotion Action

Partners of countries involved:

Ludwig EESTI - ROOTSI VAIMSE TERVISE JA
Boltzmann SUITSIDOLOOGIA INSTITUUT (ERSI)
ISHMnoeesacdtiliittocuhlito neage nfy do o r ft he EASNTDO SNUIAICNID - OSLWOEGDYIS IHN SMTEITNUTTAEL (HEERASLI)T H
HELLENIC REPUBLIC
2nd REGIONAL HEALTH
AUTHORITY OF ATTICA
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MINISTRY OF
CHOTEHMAELM ETULHND, ICETARYRL CEYA O&RF E
MALTA

With the support of:

MHEEN

Mental Health

Economics
European Network

More information on the country stories is available at: http://www.imhpa.net

A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet.
It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).

This document should be quoted:
Jané-Llopis, E. & Anderson, P. (Eds). (2006). Mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention
across European Member States: a collection of country stories. Luxembourg: European Communities.

ISBN-10: 92-79-01160-X

© European Communities, 2006

Reproduction is authorised, except for commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged.

Inside layout design by Scriptura, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Printed by the services of the European Commission
Preface 1
Preface
Positive mental health is an integral part of the health and well-being of the citizens of Europe. In the European
Union, mental ill health is one of the leading causes of disease burden. Research suggests that one in four
Europeans suffer from a mental health problem at least once during their life, and some 58,000 citizens die
from suicide every year, more than the annual deaths from road traffic accidents, homicide, or HIV/AIDS.
The European Commission with its mandate for public health has a long tradition in supporting mental health.
It contributed to the WHO European Ministerial Conference on Mental Health, held in Helsinki in January
2005. Through its Declaration and Action Plan1, this conference created strong political commitment for
mental health and established a framework for comprehensive action.
The launch of the European Commission’s Green Paper on Mental Health2 and the following consultation
process (October 2005 – May 2006) support the implementation of this framework. The aim of the Green
paper is to stimulate a debate with the European institutions, Governments, health professionals, stakeholders
in other sectors, civil society, and the research community about the relevance of mental health for the EU,
the need for a strategy at EU level, and its possible priorities.
With the Green paper and activities under the EU Public Health Programme 2003-20083, the European
Commission seeks to give support to EU Member States in developing mental health.
In order to develop infrastructures that will promote mental health and prevent mental ill health, it is important
to have a starting point that accounts what is available, and provides information on existing programmes and
policies at the country level. The Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection of the European
Commission therefore encouraged the initiative of the IMHPA Network for Mental Health Promotion and
Mental Disorder Prevention to assess the situation and to collect available information on prevention and
promotion in mental health.
This report presents a first overview, a snapshot of mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention
across Europe describing the available policies and underlying challenges and areas for future development.
It constitutes a valuable contribution to building a base line of the situation of mental health promotion and
mental disorder prevention across EU Member States, and facilitates the identification of possible areas
for future action. As it stands it can already be a first step contributing to the consultation process at the
community level and supporting Member States with a first, although not exhaustive, overview of prevention
and promotion in mental health across Europe.
I thank all those involved in the preparation of this report for their significant efforts and the leadership of the
IMHPA Network in this work.
Robert Madelin
Director General for Health and Consumer Protection
1 Mental Health Declaration for Europe and a Mental Health Action Plan for Europe, http://www.euro.who.int/mentalhealth2005
2 European Commission Green Paper. Improving the Mental Health of the population. Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_determinants/life_style/mental/green_paper/consultation_en.htm
3 Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 adopting a programme of Community action in
the field of public health (2003-2008). Official Journal L 271, 09.10.2002

Table of contents 3
Table of contents
Preface 1
An introductory word 5
A snapshot across Europe 7
A Collection of Country Stories
Austria 21
Belgium 29
Bulgaria 35
Croatia 39
Cyprus 45
Czech Republic 51
Denmark 55
Estonia 59
Finland 63
France 67
Germany 71
Greece 77
Hungary 83
Ireland 87
Italy 93
Latvia 99
Lithuania 103
Luxembourg 109
Malta 113
Norway 119
Poland 123
Portugal 129
Romania 135
Slovakia 141
Slovenia 145
Spain, Catalonia 151
Sweden 157
The Netherlands 163
Turkey 171
United Kingdom, England 177
United Kingdom, Scotland 183
Acknowledgements 191
Annex I Partners of the European Network for Mental Health 193
Promotion and Mental Disorder Prevention, IMHPA

An introductory word 5
An introductory word
This report presents a snapshot of the situation of mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention
across 30 European countries, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (Catalonia), Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey
and the United Kingdom (England and Scotland).
The country stories presented in this report have been prepared by the members of the European IMHPA
Network for Mental Health Promotion and Mental Disorder Prevention (see annex I), who are key experts on
mental health in their respective countries. For the preparation of this report, the European Network members
have involved stakeholders in their countries to collect information about available policies, programmes,
workforce and infrastructures for mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention. The European
Commission has supported this initiative on the understanding that the country stories are not official and
exhaustive reports, but rather a snapshot of current activities.
This document is therefore not an official account, but rather a first attempt to collect some baseline
information on ongoing initiatives in countries and regions. The selection of information included and the
described programmes and policies should not be interpreted as the only available sources of action nor
should they be considered evidence based or recommended action, since the report was not intended to be
a completely exhaustive or evaluative exercise, but rather the first stage in a process that hopefully will be
updated and extended. We welcome any further information that can help in this process.
The country stories presented in this report, by the authors in their own words, highlight the richness of
approaches and topics which can be addressed, and that are being implemented as mental health promotion
and mental disorder prevention across Europe. These accounts from different cultural, economic and political
backgrounds provide a framework for learning from each other and for stimulating cross-fertilization.
Maybe a more remarkable outcome of this initiative, rather than the country stories themselves, is the process
of raising awareness, dialogue, and co-operation that has been created through the development of country
groups and the 240 or more people that came together to discuss the situation of prevention and promotion
in their countries and who provided the information for the stories; we are indebted to them all.
Dr. Eva Jané-Llopis
Project leader of the European Network for Mental Health Promotion and Mental Disorder Prevention, IMHPA
on behalf of IMHPA