World Mental Health Day: let’s talk and listen

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorders. Such conditions can affect all aspects of our lives, including relationships with family, friends and community. They can result from or lead to problems at school and at work. And the economic consequences are substantial. According to a 2023 study, nearly half of Europeans declared having experienced an emotional or psychological problem such as feeling depressed or anxious.

World Mental Health Day on October 10 serves as a reminder that good mental health is important and how we can prioritise it in our lives. This year’s theme ‘Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change’ stresses how conversations about mental health make a difference.

At EU level, mental health is already a health priority. In 2023, it adopted a comprehensive approach to mental health, which is helping EU countries and interested groups to take swift action to deal with mental health challenges. It focuses on prevention, addressing behavioural risk factors and social, environmental, and commercial conditions that play their part in the development of mental health disorders.

In addition, of particular concern today are the pressures of the digital sphere and social media on our mental health. Modern platforms are highly addictive and designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible, particularly children.

EU laws and initiatives are already tackling addictive design, excessive screen time, exposure to illegal content, cyberbullying, and cyberviolence.

Last month, the EU also proposed the EU KIDS Act, based on the recommendations from the Special Panel on Child Safety Online. The proposal seeks to prevent access to social media platforms by children under the age of 13 and sets an EU-wide minimum age for minors to open an account of their own.

It’s not only the EU and national governments addressing mental health issues. We can all play our part in improving people’s mental well-being. On October 10, take the time to listen.

A comprehensive approach to mental health policy

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