GGZ Nederland - EuroHealthNet Dutch Partner - has launched the European Alliance for Mental Health in all Policies together with the European Association of Paritarian Institutions (AEIP), the International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM), the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) and Mental Health Europe (MHE).
The Alliance aims at promoting mental wellbeing in the workplace and the implementation of existing guidelines. Mental health is an asset for our economy, instead of a burden on Member States’ budgets. Although overwhelming evidence about the impact of ill mental health is now widely available, a comprehensive and inspiring plan of action to improve mental health policies and practices in Europe is still lacking.
Therefore, AEIP, AIM, EPHA, GGZ Nederland and MHE, all partners of the European Alliance for Mental Health in all Policies, are committed to promote and improve mental health in Europe by jointly promoting a European Implementation Program for Mental Health in all Policies. Persons with positive mental health are in better physical health, are more productive and innovative, earn higher incomes on average and hence have a higher socioeconomic status. The EU indicates that the total costs of work-related mental health diseases and conditions in the EU27 are nearly € 610 billion per year. Apart from persons with mental ill health themselves, various sectors have reasons to see this situation improve:
• the employers due to absenteeism and presenteeism (€ 270 billion)
• the economy in terms of lost output (€ 240 billion)
• the healthcare systems due to treatment costs (€ 60 billion)
• the social welfare systems due to disability benefit payments (€ 40 billion)
- For more information, contact the Senior policy adviser at GGZ Nederland, Chris Nas here
- To access the full version of the press release, click here
- To access the document "Mental health: boost for economic recovery in Europe Towards a European Implementation Program for Mental Health", click here
- To access the "European Alliance on Mental Health in All Policies Action plan 2015 - 2016", click here
Picture - Chris Nas - Senior policy adviser at GGZ Nederland