24 November 2025—The WHO held an online event to launch a guidance document on mental health across government sectors. The guidance explains how all parts of government—not just health services—can help protect and improve people’s mental health. This is a topic that regularly arises in the policy advocacy work carried out by EFPA and its Full Members throughout Europe.
The document stresses that mental wellbeing is shaped by factors like education, housing, employment, the environment and social protection, so governments need a coordinated, “whole-of-government” approach rather than isolated actions. It encourages strong leadership, shared goals across ministries and proper funding for mental-health-related actions.
The guidance provides practical direction for different sectors, such as designing supportive schools, creating healthy and fair workplaces, planning cities and rural areas that promote well-being, and ensuring social and justice systems protect mental health. It will hopefully function as a template to help governments embed mental health promotion and prevention into everyday policy decisions so that population wellbeing is strengthened across society.
The document can be viewed here and EFPA will work with its network to help implement the recommendations throughout Europe.
