Presentation at the CRISP event in Helsinki 27.9.2019, a side event of Finland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union

1. LESSONS LEARNT FROM
EU JOINT ACTION ON
MENTAL HEALTH
Kristian Wahlbeck
Helsinki 27.09.2019

2. 4.6.2019 Loppusanat2 Kuvassa Lapinlahden ent. sairaalan puisto Kuva: Lauri Kolehmainen/flickr CC
Welcome to Lapinlahden Lähde

4. 27.9.2019 EU action on mental health
Social determinants
of mental health
Mental health
promotion
Civil society
actions
4

5. Basis for EU actions in mental health
Building upon art 35 of the EU Charter of fundamental rights:
Everyone has the right to timely access to affordable, preventive
and curative health care of good quality
EU Pillar of social rights: equal opportunities, access to labour
market, social protection and inclusion
27.9.2019 EU action on mental health5

6. EU MENTAL HEALTH POLICY
PATHWAY
2005
Green Paper for Mental Health -“Improving Mental Health of the population.
Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union”
2008-2011
The European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being
2011
Adopted Council Conclusions -“The European Pact for Mental Health and
Well-being: results and future actions”
2013
The EU framework on mental health
2013-2016
The Joint Action on Mental Health and Well-being
2015-2018
The EU Compass for Action on Mental Health and Well-being
2020-
EU Mental Health Strategy?
EU action on mental health27.9.2019 6

7. The EU framework on mental health
2013
• Develop mental health promotion and prevention and early
intervention programmes
• Ensure the transition to comprehensive mental health
treatment and quality care
• Strengthen knowledge, evidence and best practice sharing in
mental health.
27.9.2019 EU action on mental health7

8. 27.9.2019 EU action on mental health8

9. Promotion and prevention in EU
Member States
Source: EU-Compass
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10. Finland’s new mental health strategy
until 2030: five pillars
• Mental health capital
• Supportive everyday life of
children and young people
• The right to mental health
• ”How can I help?” as the leading principle of services
• Evidence-based stewardship of mental health

11. Mental Health in All Policies (MHiAP)
Messages for the EU
• mental health is a necessary prerequisite for a
flourishing EU
• social, economic and physical environmants have a great
impact on mental health
• sectors other than health have a fundamental capacity
to influence mental health outcomes
• MHiAP approach should also champion policy
interventions addressing structural determinants, such
as poverty and gender inequality
• mental health monitoring and impact assessment need
to be applied systematically
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12. Country policy examples
Frühe Hilfen (Austria) –aims to support families at risk with in-depth
involvement of the health, family and social sectors with participation
of many other sectors, NGOs and civil society.
National outdoor recreation policy (Denmark) - creating a good
framework for outdoor recreation activities by interdisciplinary
collaboration (eight ministries are involved) contributes to preventing
and treating lifestyle diseases and mental disorders.
Creating Spaces policy (Scotland) – aims to bring health and well-being
issues into planning policy and practice, by raising awareness on the
impact of physical and social environments people’s lives, health and
wellbeing
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13. THE CASE FOR EU ACTION:
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS
Building a solid knowledge base for MHiAP by demonstrating the
EU-wide links between mental health and achievement of non-
health policy goals
Creation of an EU-wide platform for dialogue with all DGs and
other stakeholders
Capacity building for national and EU-level civil servants and
policy makers
Provision of common European tools for the MHiAP approach,
such as tools for mental health impact assessment of public
policies
Support for public monitoring of mental health and equity effects
of policies, e.g. by European indicator recommendations
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14. EU COHESION POLICY FUNDS 2021-
2027
326 billion € to cohesion funds ESF+ and ERDF
1. A smarter Europe…
2. A greener Europe…
3. A more connected Europe...
4. A more social Europe…
5. A Europe closer to citizens…
Mental health investments may be envisaged in Objectives 1, 4 and 5
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15. EU COHESION POLICY FUNDS 2021-
2027; HEALTH PRIORITIES
• Reforms of health systems
• Reduction of health inequalities by equal access to healthcare
• More health promotion and disease prevention
• Shifting away from hospital and institution-centered care to
community and home-based care
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16. WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR
MENTAL HEALTH
• New European Parliament 2019
• New Commission autumn 2019
• New EU strategy 2019-2024
• New cohesion fund programme 2021-27
Can the Finnish Presidency 2019 be used for a concerted action
to put mental health on the EU agenda again?
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