The Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing (JA MH-WB)
The Joint Action for Mental Health and Well-being (JA MH-WB) aims at building a framework for action in mental health policy at the European level and builds on previous work developed under the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being. Funded by the European Agency for Health and Consumers, the Joint Action involves 51 partners representing 28 EU Member States and 11 European organizations, and is coordinated by the Nova Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal. The objective of the JA MH-WB is to contribute to the promotion of mental health and well-being, the prevention of mental disorders and the improvement of care and social inclusion of people with mental disorders in Europe. The Joint Action addresses issues related to five areas:
- Promotion of mental health at the workplaces
- Promotion of mental health in schools
- Promoting action against depression and suicide and implementation of e-health approaches
- Seveloping community-based and socially inclusive mental health care for people with severe mental disorders and
- Promoting the integration of mental health in all policies.
This objective will be attained by establishing a process for structured collaborative work, involving MS, EU, relevant stakeholders and international organizations, leading to the development of an endorsed framework for action. The expected outcomes of the JA MH-WB include:
- A more rigorous and comprehensive knowledge on the situation of mental health and well-being in EU countries
- Creation of an inventory of existing evidence, good practices and available resources
- Strengthening of national and European networks
- Recommendations for action
- Building capacity of national mental health leaders and other stakeholders in mental health policy development
- Endorsement of a framework for action by MS and EU agencies, as well as their commitment for follow-up action
- Establishment of a structured cooperation between the Joint Action and networks from other European projects
- Creation of mechanisms supporting a structured collaboration between key actors in the implementation of mental health policies in Europe.
In each of the five areas of work of the Joint Action, a similar methodology was adopted, which includes a situation analysis in participating countries, the development of recommendations for action, and the support to the endorsement of a framework for action by EU and member states. Evaluation of progress made in EU and Members States in each of the five areas of the JA is currently being completed by national and European working groups, integrating policy makers and other stakeholders. With the collaboration of experts, they reviewed the available knowledge and resources resulting from other mental health projects in Europe (toolkits, guidelines, databases, etc.), and analyzed previous initiatives in order to better identify the ingredients that should be taken into consideration to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of future initiatives. Working methods included SWOT analysis (to evaluate achievements, barriers and challenges in MS), review of literature, questionnaires, and interviews.
The development of recommendations for action at EU and Member States level to improve the effectiveness of mental health policies implementation has been made in collaboration with EU agencies, WHO and other international organizations. To support engagement and commitment of Member States and stakeholders in effective action, several methods are being used:
- A dissemination plan will ensure that policy makers and other stakeholders will have access to the information resulting from the Joint Action;
- Coordinators of the five areas of work of the Joint Action at the national level are using the meetings of the national networks to build consensus and promote their engagement
- The same objective will be attained through meetings and other activities at the European level that will contribute to strengthen/create networks.
To support the endorsement of the recommendations by Member States and the EU, and promote their commitment for follow-up actions, a final Joint Action conference will be organized in the beginning of 2016. To build the sustainability of mental health policy initiatives in Europe, a close collaboration was established with other European mental health initiatives, in the research, clinical and policy areas, and a specific strategy will be developed to create the mechanisms that are required to support a permanent, structured and coherent cooperation in mental health policy in Europe in the future.
Advisory Group
Advisory Group
An external Advisory Committee includes representatives from the main stakeholders and ensures timely contribution of the whole consortium to the achievement of the Join Action outcomes. The Advisory Committee members are:
- Robertas Povilaitis: European Psychology Association
- John Halloran: European Social Network (ESN)
- Pedro Montellano: Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks-Europe (GAMIAN – Europe)​
- Benedetto Saraceno: Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform
- Karina Huberman: Mental Health Europe (MHE)
- John Saunders: European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI)​
- Josep Maria Haro: A Roadmap for Mental Health and Wellbeing Research in Europe (ROAMER)
Community Based Approaches
Community Based Approaches
Community Based Approaches is a working group across Europe to ensure high-quality longer-term care for people with severe mental disorders, which helped to advance mental health care in many countries. These include improvements in the living conditions in psychiatric hospitals, the development of community services, the integration of mental health care within primary care, the development of psychosocial, the protection of the human rights of people with mental disorders and the increasing participation of users and families in the improvement of policies and services. The ultimate goal of this work package is to develop recommendations for action at EU-level and in Member States that may lead to a more effective implementation of the desired shifting to community-based mental health systems and services.
A literature review was made in order to review scientific evidence, best practices and available technical resources relevant for the implementation of community-based and socially-inclusive approaches to mental health in Europe. To identify the general trends of the transition to community-based mental health care in EU, an analysis of existing data on a selected set of indicators was made. To understand in more detail the process of transition to community-based care, three different methods were used in the 9 countries that participated in this Workpackage (Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, UK), which somehow represent the main different kinds of transition process registered in EU:
- New and more extensive data related to this process was collected in these countries, with the support of a Questionnaire specifically developed for this purpose (Transition from hospital based care into community based care Assessment Questionnaire)
- A SWOT analysis (to evaluate achievements, barriers and challenges in MS) was developed in six countries
- Good practices were identifies and described in each of the participating countries
- A set of recommendations were drafted, covering the main areas that are fundamental to improve the implementation of the transition to community-based care.
- Several actions aiming at supporting the engagement and commitment of Member States and other stakeholders in effective action to develop community-based and socially inclusive approaches to mental health in Europe were initiated and will be continued in the second part of the JA.
Depression, Suicide and E-Health
Depression, Suicide and E-Health
The Workpackage on Depression, Suicide, including E-Health are to build on outcomes of 2008 European Pact for Mental Health, and the new WHO Mental Health Strategy. Proposed recommendations for action include:
- Taking action against depression and to prevent suicide in different target groups (adolescent, young adults, middle age and older people), implementing evidence-based interventions including e-mental health and improving sustainability of good practices
- Disseminating best practices, putting evidence-based tools to action in different communities
- Mediating the impact of economic crises on depression and suicide, focusing on most vulnerable groups
- Promoting trans-national approaches to e-support for minority groups present in more European countries
- Optimizing cooperation between professionals and civil society organizations
- Integrating e-health interventions into the package of health services and clinical practice of health professionals
- Taking further the outcomes of past and ongoing European projects (e.g. SEYLE, WESTAY, SUPREME, IMHPA, EMIP, EAAD, MONSUE, OSPI-Europe, EUREGENAS, MHPHands, PROSPECT, PREDI-NU, PROYOUTH)
- Scaling up involvement of local and international networks, strengthening their cooperation and promoting their sustainability
- Encouraging and supporting key stakeholders for knowledge transfer, education and dissemination of best practices
- Promoting monitoring, quality control and sustainability of evidence-based actions agaist depression and suicide
The expected output of the working group on Depression, Suicide, including E-Health is:
- Report with Situation analysis and Recommendations for action against depression and suicide including use of e-health.
- An analysis of current situation and with recommendations on activities, including the use of E-health,
- To be developed by MS and EU agencies that may contribute to the implementation of policies against depression and suicide in Europe.
- The recommendations will be adapted to the varying levels of resources available in countries.
Contact Person / Email
purebl.gyorgy@med.semmelweis-univ.hu
Mental Health and Schools
Mental Health and Schools
Mental Health and Schools aims to develop an action framework for cooperation between the health, social and education sector the management of mental disorder prevention and mental health and well-being promotion, including educational attainment, among children and adolescents as part of a commonly endorsed action framework on mental health and well being in Europe. The outputs are to:
- Analysis of the situation of mental disorder prevention and mental health and well-being promotion among children and adolescents
- Mapping of the scientific evidence and the best practices relevant for the implementation of effective actions (to access the review, please click here)
- Draw up recommendations for action at EU-level and in Member States (policy makers; health professionals; EU, national and local networks)
- Support the engagement and commitment of Member States and other stakeholders in effective action to develop more effective actions in the field.
Mental Health in All Policies
Mental Health in All Policies
Mental Health in All Policies in the Joint Action for Mental Health and Well-being is about how the policies of different sectors can have an impact on mental health. The focus of the working group is at identifying, evaluating and disseminating good population level practices on how to take mental health and wellbeing into account in decision making processes. The aim is to present in the end of 2015 a Framework for Mental Health in All Policies as a useful tool for Member States at different levels of governance (local, regional, national).
The work started in 2013 with a survey of good practices in 10 partner countries and the data collection was extended to other Member States in 2014. The data collection concentrated on getting information on intersectoral collaboration practices with all kinds of policy sectors (such as employment, environment, education, culture, etc.) In the autumn of 2014 the reported practices will be assessed and good policy level practices for exchange between Member States will be selected. In 2015 the evaluated good policy level practices will be introduced including strategies how to involve other sectors to get mental health and wellbeing issues into decision making processes. Good practices will, for instance, include tools for mainstreaming mental health issues, tools for mental health impact assessment of policy decisions and strategies to create collaboration with different sectors in mental health issues. From the early results it is emerging that conceptual clarity will be important in the implementation phase since the idea of Mental Health in All Policies is quite new and unknown in many sectors and countries. It is encouraging, however, that the attitudes towards the concept have been mainly positive and its value has been broadly supported.
The Mental Health in All Policies work package has developed four Policy Briefs that provide practical information on including mental health in education, labour, local authority and whole-of-government policies. Conference Conclusions for the Mental Health in All Policies – Supporting sustainability and growth in Europe, which was held 11-12 May 2015 in Helsinki, Finland, have also been produced in collaboration with the Finnish Ministry for Social Affairs and Health.
Working Groups
Working Groups
The Joint Action of mental Health and Well-being is organized in 5 areas of work related to mental health and well-being policy; and 3 transversal working groups dedicated to the management, dissemination and evaluation. Each of these working groups are designated Working Packages (WP). A Steering Committee, comprised of the Coordinators of each working area (work packages) is responsible for the implementation of the Joint Action. Working groups include:
- Coordination of the Joint Action (WP1)
- Dissemination (WP2)
- Evaluation (WP3)
- Depression, suicide prevention and e-health. (WP4)
- Community-based approaches to Mental Health (WP5)
- Mental Health at workplaces (WP6)
- Mental health and Schools (WP7)
- Mental health in all Policies (WP8)
Workplace Health Promotion
Workplace Health Promotion
Mental Health at Workplaces is part of the aims to develop an action framework to support enterprises in adopting policies and practices which prevent mental ill-health and strengthen positive mental health by working with the representatives of eleven participating member states and their relevant stakeholders. The member states involved are Austria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Malta, Netherlands and Slovenia. The planned action will focus not on practices at enterprise level but on how the various stakeholders (apart from enterprises) can put in place a framework and supportive infrastructure which encourages enterprises to adopt initiatives that supports employees with mental health problems and promotes a positive corporate culture that prevents mental health at work.
Organisation
Address: NOVA Medical School 130, 1169-056 Lisboa
Country: Portugal
Email: info@mentalhealthandwellbeing.eu