A Policy of Mental Health Protection in the Example of Europe

Mental Health in Europe: Current Situation

The countries of the WHO European Region face huge challenges in their activities aimed at strengthening the mental well-being of the population, prevention of mental health problems among marginalized and vulnerable population groups, as well as treatment, care, and promotion of recovery of people with mental health problems. Increasing mental health issues are included in the list of priorities in different countries of the Region, taking into account attention to the scale of both material and human damage caused society and the suffering of individuals. WHO European Conferences at the level Mental Health Ministers, held from 2005 to 2020, identified the main tasks and realistically possible ways to solve them, implementation of which is possible in all countries, regardless of the level of development of mental health systems.

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  Disease burden

Mental health is currently one of the most serious problems facing all the countries of the region since, at one time or another, mental health problems occur in at least everyone fourth person. Prevalence rates for mental disorders health in the European Region are very high. Out of 870 million in the European Region, an estimated 100 million people experience anxiety and depression; over 21 million suffer from alcohol use disorders; over 7 million suffer from Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia; about 4 million - schizophrenia; 4 million with bipolar disorder and 4 million with panic attacks disorders. Psychoneurological disorders are the second leading cause burden of disease in the Region after cardiovascular disease. Their lot accounts for 19.5% of all life years lost due to disability (DALYs – years of life lost due to illness and premature death). Just a proportion of depression, which is the third leading cause of burden diseases, accounts for 6.2% of all DALYs). To the share of self-harm, which is the eleventh leading cause of DALYs, accounts for 2.2%, and disease Alzheimer's and other types of dementia ranked fourteenth on the list of causes - 1.9% of DALYs. As the population ages, the number of people with violations are likely to increase (Marketer, 2022).

Psychoneurological disorders also account for more than 40% of all chronic diseases, and they are the most important cause of the loss of healthy years of life due to disability. The single most important reason is depression. Mental disorders bear five of the fifteen most important factors influencing disease burden. In many countries, 35-45% of cases of absenteeism are related to mental health problems.

One of the most tragic consequences of mental disorders is suicide. Nine of the top ten countries in the world with the highest rates of suicides are in the European Region. According to the latest available According to data, about 150,000 people voluntarily die each year, of which 80% are men. Suicide is the leading and hidden cause of death among young people, ranking second after road traffic incidents in the 15–35 age group (TBC Insurance, 2022).

Stigma and Discrimination

Too often, the widespread stigmatization of persons with mental problems is an obstacle to the development and implementation of mental health strategies. Stigmatization is the leading cause of discrimination and social exclusion: it has a negative impact on people's sense of self-esteem, leads to the rupture of family relationships, and limits opportunities to participate in society, housing, and employment. It is also a violation of the rights of individuals in a number of large institutions of a closed type.

Mental Health Promotion

Governments are now recognizing the importance mental well-being of all citizens. It is an essential component of high quality of life, allowing people to consider their lives full and meaningful and be active and creative members of society. Mental health society contributes to the adoption of a lifestyle that ensures the state's mental well-being. Mental health promotion should be directed at the entire population, including people with mental health problems and those taking care of them. The development and implementation of effective mental health promotion plans will increase the mental well-being of society as a whole.