Policy Brief

Care for Mental Health, Invest in Social Rights

As part of European Mental Health Week 2025, Mental Health Europe has released a policy brief “Using the European Pillar of Social Rights as a Tool Towards Mentally Healthy and Strong Societies”.

Amid a worrying decline in population-wide mental health, as highlighted in the latest Eurobarometer  findings, Mental Health Europe is urging a decisive shift toward a psychosocial approach of mental health, which considers the broader social, economic, and environmental determinants of mental health.

“Having enough money to eat, somewhere safe to live, a job providing income, access to education and social security shapes our lives, our wellbeing and our mental health. We have set out a range of recommendations in our policy brief and we are here to support policy makers to develop a EU mental health strategy and to ensure mental health is considered and embedded in all social policies.”

Kadri Soova, Mental Health Europe Director

This year’s theme for European Mental Health Week: “Care for Mental Health, Invest in Social Rights”, calls on the EU to fully utilise the existing European pillar of social rights  as a framework to improve mental health outcomes.  The policy brief outlines actionable recommendations for EU and national policy makers to integrate mental health in all social policies, from employment and housing to education and income support in line with the psychosocial approach to mental health, championed by Mental Health Europe at  EU level.  If we want to improve mental health for all and address the unmet mental health care needs rising across Europe, it is crucial to act on the broader determinants that shape our mental health, which includes socio-economic conditions.

“At Mental Health Europe, we see a future where mental health is protected, promoted, and supported through inclusion and strong, fair social policies. Policy makers have the power, the opportunity, the framework and hopefully the political will to shape a mentally well society.

Mental Health Europe sees the upcoming revision of the EPSR Action Plan as an opportunity to advance mental health by reinforcing the social dimension of the EU.

The Policy Brief is also available in several languages;