Mental and behavioural disorders are posing an increasing burden on today’s society and can affect all of us. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), almost a billion individuals worldwide are suffering from a mental health disorder. This is indeed an increasing concern in the EU, as in 2018 the European Commission reported 84 million people with mental health disorders in the European region, and this issue has only continued growing, with certain studies suggesting even higher incidence.
Unquestionably, good mental health is an essential part of a person’s wellbeing and has an important impact on physical health and quality of health (and vice versa), where certain studies present that mental disorders rank among the most substantial causes of death worldwide. It is a fundamental component for living a productive, stable and healthy life at home, at work, in school, as well as in social life.
However, good mental health should not only be addressed in hospitals and in a therapeutic setting, rather it should be addressed early on in the everyday life of every citizen. Thus, it is imperative that the EU recognise mental health as a great concern for the well-being of its citizens and a cross-sectoral topic in Europe for individuals to live a fulfilled personal/professional life and be an active participating citizen in the Union both socially and economically.
The overall mental health and wellbeing of people has the utmost importance for the S&D Group. The aim of this position paper is to bring this issue into a broader and holistic discussion with the objective of addressing and mitigating mental health issues and the related socio-economic burden throughout the EU. In this regard, we as the S&D Group call for a comprehensive and ambitious mental health strategy at an EU level, which would be in line with previous specific EU efforts in the area of mental health.
