EFPA aligns work planning with WHO pan-European Mental Health Coalition for 2023 to 2025 mandate

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January 2024 - Following EFPA's participation in the WHO pan-European Mental Health Coalition from 2021 to date, EFPA has renewed commitment to collaborating with WHO Europe and the other stakeholders involved in the Coalition for the 2023-2025 period.

The Coalition's priorities, drawing from the WHO European framework for action on mental health 2021–2025, are to:

  • provide an overarching structure for exchanging experience and mobilising national champions, advocates and service innovators;

  • serve as the umbrella for a multi-agency, Region-wide review of lessons learnt and future perspectives for mental health policy formation and implementation;

  • stimulate fundamental and applied research on mental health, with particular attention to the interface between health, social and community care and the role of primary care; the intersection between mental health and gender; and the role of temporary or chronic financial insecurity;

  • facilitate national policy dialogues on mental health and psychosocial support to incorporate key mental health priorities in national policies and plans (such as cross-sector prevention; digitalisation of mental health services; de-institutionalisation of psychiatric care and investment in commensurate community structures; collaboration between health and social care networks; and forensic mental health).

The Coalition's work packages focus on: 1) mental health leadership; 2) the mental health and wellbeing of children, adolescents and youth; 3) the mental health and wellbeing of older adults; 4) mental health at the workplace; 5) mental health in emergencies; and 6) the transformation of mental health services. These themes align well with EFPA's 7 points of mental health advocacy.

As part of the structure of collaboration EFPA's relevant working groups will liaise with their Coalition counterparts to ensure that work planning is aligned. This allows for EFPA's working group deliverables to be informed by the up to date work of the WHO Europe network, while also ensuring that these deliverables are well developed in relation to current policy and practice developments and ready for use to support European mental health.

Updates will be shared on an ongoing basis. You can find out more about the Coalition here.