MHEEN II – Mental Health Economics European Network phase II (2005-2007)

Funded by

European Commission, DG Health and Consumers

Duration

24 months, from July 2005 to July 2007 (extended until December 2007)

Summary

The challenge of promoting good mental health has been widely recognised. The challenge is all the greater because no health system in the world has sufficient resources to meet all of a population's health needs. Health promotion - including mental health - must therefore be pursued in cognisance of resource scarcity. Mental health problems contribute heavily to the burden of ill health in Europe. The economic impacts can be considerable, particularly those associated with lost employment, loss of personal income, increase burden on family members, increased utilisation of health and social care services and - in some cases - increased use of service in the education, employment, housing and criminal justice sectors. However, information on related economic issues remains sparse. Little is known about the costs and other economic parameters of mental health systems in Europe as a major task.

Objectives

• To contribute to the promotion and protection of public health in Europe by gathering and analysing information and knowledge in respect of the economics and financing of mental health;
• To build on the work of the existing network (MHEEN) and produce high quality mental health economics related research to inform the policy process across Europe;
• To add value to the network through links with other expert groups: IMHPA and ENWHP;
• To assess the cost-effectiveness of mental health promotion and prevention strategies against a range of mental health problems including depression and anxiety disorders;
• To construct and apply a tool for assessing mental health service utilisation and costs at the local level;
• To develop a sustainable network of mental health economics expertise through capacity building and networking to aid decision making at the European, national and local level.

Activities and outcomes

• The multi-disciplinary background of network members together with inputs with other networks linked to MHEEN are a key aspect of this work.
• New instruments will again be developed or adapted iteratively, drawing on the network's considerable expertise and experience.
• Robust systematic literature reviews will be used augmented further by data supplied by network members.
• Maintaining the substantial current levels of personal goodwill and additional voluntary commitment is a key challenge as the network expands; mentoring, support and the forging individual links and collaboration between existing and new partners will be facilitated.

Publications and documents

Project Fact Sheet

Policy briefing on cost-effectiveness and mental health 

Policy briefing on promotion of mental well-being

Policy briefing on Economic challenges of  community-based care

Policy briefing on employment and mental health

Lead organisation

London School of Economics and Political Science

With the technical coordination of Mental Health Europe

Partners

Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (WUW), Austria

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven VZW (KUL), Belgium

Mental Health Europe (MHE), Belgium

New Bulgarian University (UNIB), Bulgaria

Institut Zdravotni Politky A Ekonomiky (IZPE), Czech Republic

Sundheds Ministeriet (MOHD), Denmark

Tartu Ülikool (UNIT), Estonia

Tampereen Yliopisto (UNITAM), Finland

Asoociation Robert Debré Pour La Recherche Médicale (RDRM), France

Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeistmedizin (BAuA), Germany

Technische Universität Dresden (TUNID), Germany

Universitätsklinikum Ulm (UNIU), Germany

Kentpo Pshychikis Ygeias Chalandriou (KPSY), Greece

Vinnueftirlitid (AOHS), Iceland

National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Ireland

Azienda Regionale ASL 4 Torino (ASL4), Italy

Università degli Studi di Verona (UNIV), Italy

Viešoji istaija "MTVC" (MTVC), Lithuania

Ministry of Health Malta (MOHM), Malta

Universiteit Maastricht (UNIM), Netherlands

Stiftelsen for Industriell Og Teknisk Forskning Ved Norges Teknsike Hogskole (SINTEF), Norway

Academia Medyczna Im Piastow Slaskich Wroclawiu Am Wroclaw (AMWR), Poland

Instytut Psychiatrii Neroulogii (IPN), Poland

Instituto Superior Technico (IST), Portugal

Universitatea Babes-Bolyai (BBU), Romania

Združeni pre duševene zdravie Integra (INTEGRA), Slovakia

Institut Za Varovanje Zdravia Republike Slovenije Ime V Angeaskem Jeziku (IVZ), Slovenia

Generalitat de Catalunya (GDC), Spain

Instituto de Medicina Psicosocial S.L. (IMEP), Spain

Stockholm Health Economics AB (SHE), Sweden

Hacettepe University (UNIH), Turkey

University College London (UCL), United Kingdom

University of Oxford (UNIO), United Kingdom

Website

www.mheen.org

Contact person

Mari Fresu, Project Coordinator