World Mental Health Day 2025: Psychologists at the Heart of Prevention, Response, Recovery, and Resilience

10th October 2025—On World Mental Health Day, the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA) joins the World Health Organization (WHO) in highlighting the importance of access to services, with a special emphasis on mental health in catastrophes and emergencies (1).

Across Europe, crises that threaten the psychological and social wellbeing of individuals and communities, are increasingly shaping our collective experience — from natural disasters and climate emergencies to armed conflicts and public health crises. Each of these events profoundly affects mental health, yet also demonstrates the vital contribution of Psychology and Psychologists in prevention and promotion, emergency response, and long-term recovery.

Psychological science provides the evidence base for promoting psychological literacy, strengthening preparedness, understanding human behaviour under threat, and intervening with direct attention to populations’ recovery and resilience.

In alignment with EFPA’s 7 mental health priorities (2) EFPA calls on stakeholders to ensure that:

  • Mental health and psychological services are fully integrated into emergency preparedness and response systems across all European countries, guaranteeing access to evidence-based, culturally adapted, and ethically responsible care.
  • Psychologists are systematically included in multidisciplinary teams preparing for, responding to, and recovering from crises — from national coordination structures to community-based psychological intervention teams operating in the immediate aftermath of emergencies.
  • Specialised training in crisis, trauma, and emergency psychology, including psychological first aid and risk and crisis communication, becomes standard in both initial education and continuing professional development for psychologists.
  • Prevention and psychological preparedness are recognised as strategic investments in social resilience, ensuring sustainable recovery, community cohesion, and long-term wellbeing.

Drawing on the theme of community, EFPA will participate in a World Mental Health Day webinar on the theme of “Community Psychology: Integrating perspectives to have a broader vision” on the 10th October 2025 in association with the European Federation of Psychology Students' Associations (3).

 

1. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2025
2. https://www.efpa.eu/mental-health
3. https://linktr.ee/efpsa.org