Mental health issues have always been a sensitive topic, and many people have trouble opening up about it. When patients do come forward, there are often limited resources available to assist them.

In recent years, patient groups across Europe have been advocating for a more significant investment in mental health care, requesting that governments increase their funding for mental health services and support programs.

Patients and their families are advocating for more focus towards mental health, as there are many people across Europe that do not have access to the necessary care and support.

The Mental Health Issue in Europe

Depression and anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issues in Europe, affecting around 10% of the population. Still, many other mental health conditions range from severe psychotic issues to mild stress or emotional problems.

Access to quality mental health care and the sufficiency of resources is highly variable across countries and regions, with some countries significantly better-equipped to cater to patients than others.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the issue, with more people facing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health challenges due to social isolation, financial difficulties, and uncertainty.

Mental Health Care Funding in Europe

While public opinion has been slowly changing over the years, mental health continues to be one of the most underfunded sectors of healthcare.

In Europe, a broad variation exists in the extent to which governments have allocated funding to mental health programs.

Several countries across Europe have been putting mental health care in the forefront of their strategy, being focused and prepared to invest more resources and funding; however, others continue to lag behind.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Europe’s mental health resources only meet an average of 52% of the region’s needs.

European patient groups have, therefore, been urging governments to allocate more resources to mental health and bring the region’s gaps in mental health care to an end.

Patient Groups that have been Advancing the Cause

There are several patient groups and charitable organizations that have been advocating for increased funding and policy change.

These groups have joined forces across Europe, bringing together patients, families, mental health care professionals, and policymakers to affect change and help close the gaps in mental health treatment and services.

Their efforts have culminated in several campaigns and policy interventions, including:.

#LifeCourse Campaign

LifeCourse is a patient-led campaign that advocates for personalized and effective mental health services for patients in the European Union (EU).

The campaign targets both the general public and policymakers, encouraging the public to express their support for personalized service provision, and policymakers to consider personalized care during policy implementation.

The Compass Advantage Project

This project is all about advocating for and creating an improvement in the quality of mental healthcare in Europe.

The Compass Advantage project is geared towards improving the lives of people with mental health issues by spreading the use of evidence-based mental health services across Europe. With the project’s efforts, the ultimate goal is to improve access to quality mental health care services by ensuring the continuous investments necessary for the implementation of quality mental health servic.

Morning Tea

The Morning Tea program aims to provide a community support network for patients with mental health conditions in Portugal.

The program combines the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), volunteers, and healthcare professionals who reach out to patients who are in temporary crisis situations. This program tries to serve as a lifeline for those who cannot access normal mental health care services.

Moving Forward: Increased Funding and Future Prospects

The efforts of various patient groups have positively impacted the mental health sector in Europe, encouraging governments, and policymakers to increase investment in mental health care programmes.

Despite these efforts, there is still a massive deficit in funding in the sector.

Patients and their families across Europe contend that the mental health issue can be overcome by governments prioritizing funding for mental health.

The funding gap impairs the efforts of healthcare professionals and specialists trying to provide mental health care to patients across Europe.

For this reason, it is essential for governments and international organizations to increase funding and provide necessary resources to help those struggling with mental health challenges.

It is necessary to develop and implement more comprehensive support programs in the healthcare sector to help everyone access the care that they need.

Conclusion

There are several patient groups across Europe that have been advocating for increased funding to mental health care programmes, working closely with healthcare professionals and policymakers to affect change.

As such, it is necessary for governments to provide the necessary funding to ensure everyone receives access to the care they need.