Mental health is a serious issue that the world has to face. The EU in particular has some of the highest rates of mental health issues in the world, with an extremely large amount of people suffering from depression. The average age of these sufferers is becoming lower year upon year, the people suffering becoming younger and younger. Diagnosed mental health illnesses have been recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. In the UNCRC issued by UNICEF Article 23 states “State Parties recognise the right of the disabled child to special care and shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources”.

The Mental Health in all Policies, works to ensuring these rights are adequately met. They help to develop policies and strategies to help people suffering from mental health issues. Their approach has been categorized as

“The MHiAP approach:

• Emphasises the impact of public policy on mental health determinants
• Aims to reduce mental health inequalities
• Highlights the benefits of promoting mental health in different policy areas, and
• Makes policymakers more accountable for mental health impacts.”

Thanks to their help and hard work the EU is on track to meeting their policy requirement goals. The EU also opt into the Framework for Action on Mental Health and Well-being. These involve services that fight for every persons need in individual EU countries. The issues around mental health in the public health agenda is now being widely recognised by all parties in Europe.

The Joint Action on Mental Health and Well-being have also said that their general aim is to build a framework for action in the mental health area. They hope to turn this into policy at European levels and then build on their previous work which was created under the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being. In a quote directly from their website they say that “Mental health and well-being is a cross sectorial issue for all parts of the government.”.

What are the EU’s objectives?

• Ensure sustainable and effective implementation of policies contributing to promotion of mental health and the prevention and treatment of mental disorders

• Develop mental health promotion and prevention and early intervention programmes, through integration of mental health in all policies and multi-sectoral cooperation

• Ensure the transition to comprehensive mental health treatment and quality care accessible to all, with an emphasis on providing mental health care to individuals with mental disorders. Coordination of health and social care for individuals with severe mental disorders as well as integrated care for mental and physical disorders

• Strengthen knowledge, the evidence base and good practices sharing in mental health

• Partnering for progress.

The general objective of implementing these frameworks are to see the sustainable implementation of all policies in the EU which will them promote mental health and subsequently prevent cases from being unrecognised or diagnosed. This also means that they can issue early intervention programmes and get people the help they need earlier on which will stop them from becoming dependant on medication later on.

These improvements will see the quality of care and health professionals flourish in and around countries within the European Union. It will decrease the amount of serious threats, suicide or hospitalisation and generally make the population happier and safer. Lastly, it will also sustain the current growth in knowledge seeking and expand many peoples horizons on what they were ignorant to, effectively reducing stigma around the world.