Who we are

Mental Health Europe believes that the burden caused by mental illness for individuals, families and society is too heavy, and that the stigma and taboos are too great to leave mental health development only to politicians and professionals.

Mental Health Europe supports the emancipation of different groups in the mental health field in order to establish equal positions between the different parties and to ensure that mental health activities and mental health care really meet the needs of the population.   

Our mission

Mental Health Europe: 

• plays an important role in raising awareness, in combating the taboos, stigma and prejudice associated with mental illness, and in fighting social exclusion; 
• is entitled to fight against violations of the social rights of people with mental health problems through the lodging of collective complaints with the Council of Europe's European Committee of Social Rights, 
• has participatory status with the Council of Europe , a liaison function for mental health promotion with the  European Commission , and has legal status, being in official relations, with the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe , 

• coordinates a platform of European NGOs in the mental health field,

• is a member of several European umbrella organisations: European Disability Forum  (EDF), Social Platform , European Public Health Alliance  (EPHA),European Coalition for Community Living  (ECCL), European Women’s Lobby (EWL), the European Patients' Forum (EPF). 

    

Our activities 

Mental Health Europe:

• promotes and supports its member organisations with their developments and their efforts to achieve greater acknowledgement and funding through information, exchange and consultation; 
• lobbies the European institutions in order to raise the profile of mental health; 
• develops recommendations for policies and strategies on mental health issues; 
• initiates European projects  in which member organisations can become involved; 
• is a forum for exchange and information on health and social policies that are relevant to the field of mental health and well-being; 
• offers a structure and support to find partner organisations for collaboration and for exchange of knowledge and expertise and to identify and disseminate good practices; 
• increases awareness of mental health and well-being, and campaigns for important mental health issues; 
• has set up Committees  that work on mental health and women’s issues, mental health and migration and ethnic minorities and mental health and human rights;
• organises meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences; 
• publishes a monthly newsletter  and produces briefings and reports; 
• provides up to date information on mental health issues on its website.