Dear Friends,

The approaching end of 2007 provides an opportunity for us to reflect upon our personal experience of the year but is also a point at which Mental Health Europe can celebrate its achievements in relation to the promotion of positive mental health and well-being.

2007 has been proclaimed as the European Year of Equal Opportunities. This was initiated in Berlin in January and concluded in Lisbon in November but the positive action to promote equality of opportunity will continue well beyond this year. The active participation of MHE in this vision can be seen as making a valuable contribution to the challenging, yet rewarding, process of raising awareness of the contribution that individuals, families, schools, the workplace and therapeutic environments can make to the promotion of positive mental health and well-being.

For the sixth time since the launch of the Lisbon Strategy, the European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion 2007 brought all concerned stakeholders together for two days, in Ponta Delgada (Azores). The core objective of this Round Table was to promote discussion on the positive effects of the concept of minimum social standards as a crucial element of strategies for overcoming poverty and exclusion, bearing in mind the need to adapt it to the realities of different vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities and mental ill health, and to the options of each country.
The vision of MHE was celebrated at its annual conference in Vienna in June at which we were delighted to join in partnership with ProMente Austria to explore the theme of "No Health without Mental Health – from Slogan to Reality". The conference received positive support in both the local and national press and raised awareness amongst policy makers and politicians that mental health is the key indicator of economic, social and human progress.

MHE’s Executive, Board, Staff and the Director Mary Van Dievel worked consistently in partnership to ensure that we are recognised as being an organisation with a vision which is at the centre of Europe’s programme for mental health.

One of the most important developments of 2007 was the conclusion of the "Good Practices Project for Combating Social Exclusion of People with Mental Health Problems". Together with members from ten countries MHE has been privileged to visit pioneering examples of good practice in, for example, Scotland, Belgium, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and these provided valuable opportunities to celebrate and share the diversity of ways in which creative projects to develop positive mental health and well being are being developed.

At the November Conference in Warsaw I was delighted to be introduced to twelve examples of positive mental health practice in my old country – Poland. The inspiring work in Poland is also reflected in a wide range of projects throughout Europe and I am most grateful to all of you for making this Good Practices Project possible as it is mainly due to your hard work, dedication and perseverance that the Good Practices Project has been so successful.

I believe that at the heart of the European vision for mental health is the vibrant and vital contribution that such high quality local community based projects and initiatives make. It has been a pleasure to meet many people in 2007 who with their hearts and minds and their professional and personal commitment deliver excellent services in all parts of Europe.

MHE, at the invitation of John Bowis MEP, held a vibrant debate in the European Parliament in December exploring the theme "Equal Chance, Equal Respect: Promoting Mental Well-Being in Employment". This event recognised that in the midst of economic growth and progress the experience of many European citizens is that of stress and mental ill-health, particularly related to the world of work.

We are all aware that global issues impact upon us at the local level and therefore we at MHE see ourselves as the focal NGO through which the issues from Europe and the wider world connect with your local communities wherever you are. Central to MHE’s vision is the belief in the positive promotion of well being and we affirm that all people deserve to be treated with respect and to be afforded active inclusion socially, economically and politically in order to work towards social cohesion and respect for civil society.

The EU Commissioner Markos Kyprianou has recently announced plans for the establishment of the "Mental Health Pact" for Europe. MHE will watch vigilantly this development and we will continue to ensure by lobbying and campaigning that mental health promotion and well-being are at the centre of future developments in all Member States.

I wish to thank all of you who support MHE, especially service users and their families, for your determined belief in the need to actively continue to work for improvements in the quality of life of those who are vulnerable and experience mental ill-health in their daily lives.
 
I would also like to thank all MHE Board Members, the Executive Committee, MHE Staff and the Director who so generously support us in moving towards our goals by giving their time, skills and energy in promoting positive mental health, human rights, equality and well-being in Europe.

We are all preparing for our 2008 MHE Conference in Aalborg, Denmark, titled "Diversity in Mental Health and Well Being", I do hope that you will be able to join us in Denmark and as the festive season approaches and the year 2007 comes to an end I wish You All a peaceful, healthy and happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.
 
With kindness and respect,
Malgorzata Kmita
MHE President

Mental Health Europe is finalising negotiations with the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities' unit on social inclusion regarding its Work Plan 2008.

The MHE Work Plan fits in the European Commission's "3-year partnership agreements concluded with EU-level networks active in the field of combating social exclusion and discrimination, promoting gender equality and promoting the integration of disabled people and representing Roma people".

The MHE Work Plan for the year 2008 will have as its overall goal to develop and strengthen MHE's capacities and that of its member organisations, including people with mental health problems, who are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, to inform and influence employment and social policy and processes at the local, national, regional and European level, with a view to better reflecting the needs of people with (a history of) mental health problems.

Under this overall goal, the main thematic emphasis will be given to the upcoming review of the renewed Lisbon Strategy and especially the preparation of the new National Strategies 2008-2011.

MHE member organisations will be actively involved in this Work Plan.

More information to follow.

 

On 5 December 2007, Mental Health Europe (MHE) and John Bowis MEP (EPP-ED Group) hosted a lunch debate on “Equal Chance, Equal Respect: Promoting Mental Health and Well-being in Employment”.

The debate focused on a key cross-cutting issue impacting on social and health policies in the EU, namely the mental well-being in employment. In Europe, one in five people at work suffers from a high level of stress at work, the second most common health symptom. Stressors at work increase the risk of anxiety, depression and burn out.

The debate emphasised how the provision of training and social support at work, and the development of empowerment can lead to improvements in competence, coping strategies, job satisfaction, work capacity and reduced stress.

Richard Wynne, Director of the Work Research Centre (Ireland) and expert partner in the ProMenPol research project, highlighted some well known workplace factors that can promote good mental health and the two main approaches to promoting mental health in the workplace. Wynne concluded his presentation by stressing the need to raise awareness of the possibilities of the workplace for mental heath promotion, encourage the practice of mental heath promotion at the workplace and provide support for workplaces wishing to undertake mental heath promotion. He mentioned the contribution of the ProMenPol project to meeting this need.

Jürgen Scheftlein, Policy Officer at the European Commission, DG Health and Consumer Protection (DG Sanco), spoke about mentally healthy workplaces and DG Sanco's activities, while Jorge Costa-David, Policy Officer at the European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs, presented DG Employment's perspective.

The debate fed into the Lisbon strategy 2008-2010 and the EU Health Strategy 2008-2013. The Lisbon strategy for the economic and social renewal of Europe highlights the need for both more and better jobs, and for improved social inclusion and gender equality. The Commission’s Health Strategy White Paper recognises that mental health problems are a major cause of work absenteeism and early retirement, thereby causing immense economic losses and social burdens.

The event was co-funded by the European Commission - DG Employment, Unit E2 Inclusion, Social Policy aspects of Migration, Streamlining of social Policies, in the frame of Mental Health Europe's Work Programme 2007 "From Exclusion to Inclusion".

For more information: the MHE Secretariat, E-mail info@mhe-sme.org, Tel +32 2 280 04 68

On 6 December 2007, European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou announced that the foreseen EU Mental Health Strategy has been replaced by plans for the establishment of a "Mental Health Pact". The first step in this process will be a high level Conference on Mental Health in June 2008. The conference is expected to involve Ministers of Health from Member States and high-level representatives from the health and other relevant sectors.
"We deeply regret that the European Union has failed to reach an agreement on the adoption of a common EU Mental Health Strategy", said Mary Van Dievel, Director of Mental Health Europe. "While the Commission’s new proposal aims to strengthen cooperation across policy fields and Member States, which is to be welcomed, it does not provide a solid basis for joint action in one of the key areas of competence of the Union, namely the promotion of mental health and well-being".

Article 152 (ex Article 129) of the EC Treaty lays down that a high level of human health protection, including mental health, shall be ensured in all community policies. Mental Health Europe believes that, in line with the Treaty provision, the EU needs to develop a comprehensive strategy on promoting positive mental health and well-being for all, and to encourage better cooperation between Member States in order to address inequalities within and between countries.

At the same time, Mental Health Europe is aware that fundamental differences and gaps exist between individual Member States' mental health policies. A cooperation framework on mental health promotion is fundamental to ensure that these differences and gaps across the European Union are taken into account and effectively addressed.

Mental Health Europe calls upon the European Union and the Member States to ensure that the foreseen Mental Health Pact adopts a wide-ranging approach to promoting good mental health and well-being, and addresses the whole of the European population across all settings. An effective Mental Health Pact shall also support the implementation of appropriate measures and actions that go beyond the mere execution of a series of thematic conferences.

For more information: the MHE Secretariat, E-mail info@mhe-sme.org, Tel +32 2 280 04 68

 

The Mental Health Economics European Network Symposium took place on Thursday 13 December 2007 in Brussels. The event, organised by Mental Health Europe together with the London School of Economics, aimed at presenting key findings and analysis from the phase II of the Mental Health Economics European Network (MHEEN II), a European project supported by the European Commission, DG Health and Consumer Protection. More information on the symposium will be published in the MHE newsletter shortly.

To know more about the project, please visit the MHEENII website at www.mheen.org or contact Mari Fresu, Project Coordinator, email mari.fresu@mhe-sme.org

 

The programme for the MHE conference to be held in Aalborg (Denmark), from 7-9 August 2007 was further discussed during a teleconference on 22 November.

The 2nd announcement with Call for contributions will be available in January and will be widely disseminated.

MHE members and other interested organisations and people are kindly invited to already now send in their proposals for the conference workshops!

For more information: the MHE Secretariat, E-mail info@mhe-sme.org, Tel +32 2 280 04 68

 

On 5 December, Sogol Noorani took part in the European Commission conference "People with Disabilities: Active Players in the Internal Market" organised in Brussels on the occasion of the European Day of People with Disabilities 2007.
 
On 8 December, Fanny Muller participated in the CEDEP (Comité européen: droit, éthique et psychiatrie) General Assembly in Paris.
 
On 10-11 December, Peter Kinderman, President of the MHE Committee on Mental Health and Human Rights, and Fanny Muller represented MHE at the FRA (European Union Fundamental Rights Agency) consultative meeting with civil society on the setting up of the Fundamental Rights Platform in Brussels.
 
On 13 December, John Henderson, Senior Policy Advisor, Mary Van Dievel, Mari Fresu and Olivia Merlet attended the Symposium of Mental Health Economics European Network – Phase II, which was organised in Brussels by the London School of Economics together with Mental Health Europe.)
 
On 13-14 December, John Henderson, Mary Van Dievel, Mari Fresu and Sogol Noorani participated in a Mental Health Projects Summit which was organised in Brussels by the SUPPORT Project in cooperation with the European Commission, DG Health and Consumer Protection.
 
On 18 December, Fanny Muller took part in a meeting of the Social Platform FRAND (Human Rights and Discrimination) working group in Brussels.