MIELI Suomen Mielenterveys ry
MIELI
The mission of MIELI Mental Health Finland, MIELI ry is to support and promote good mental health, considered essential at all levels of society and in all spheres of life.
ID: 073065435191-02
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Alviina Alametsä (Member of the European Parliament)
21 Feb 2024 · Exchange of views
Response to A comprehensive approach to mental health
15 Feb 2023
MIELI Mental Health Finland, founded in 1897, is the leading non-governmental organization in the field of mental health in Finland. MIELI is a member of Mental Health Europe. MIELI warmly welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the call for evidence and applauds the European Commissions growing commitment towards mental health. MIELI looks forward to the extremely timely upcoming initiative on a comprehensive approach to mental health. MIELI strongly urges the European Commission to develop the initiative into a European Mental Health Strategy, with objectives, tasks and timelines for action, adequate budget and progress indicators. MIELI supports the decision to base the initiative on the WHO definition of mental health, which does not see mental health as solely lacking any mental disorder, but as a capability to cope with life's stressors and fully participate in society. Although the burden of ill mental health on the EU economies should not be neglected, MIELI very much embraces the Commission's view that "good mental health of the European population is a fundamental resource for social stability and economic prosperity, as well as for quality of life." Mental health is a matter for everyone. MIELI emphasises the need to put more emphasis on universal mental health promotion and increasing mental wellbeing and psychological resilience in the European population. Russia's attack on Ukraine further emphasises the need to strengthen psychological resilience of the EU population by building a sense of coherence and solidarity. MIELI congratulates the Commission for its view on mental health as a comprehensive and cross-sectoral issue. Mental health is formed through policies, many of which are in the competence of the EU. However, the focus should not only be on reducing mental health problems, but also on supporting the mental wellbeing of EU citizens. Research indicates that the mental wellbeing of Europeans is deteriorating, that the perceived quality of life is declining and that young people in Europe increasingly feel a lack of purpose and meaningfulness in their life. Socio-economic determinants are closely linked to mental health, and the EU initiative should cover all relevant policies, stretching all the way from family, youth, social and labour policies to environmental policies. Thus, MIELI strongly supports the view that EU action needs to go beyond health policy and include all policies with an impact on mental health. MIELI underlines that the basis of mental health is formed during childhood and adolscence. Half of all mental disorders start before the age of 25. It is thus an imperative that the policies addressing children and young people are included in the EU iniative and it is a source of concern that support for mental health of children and young people is not specifically mentioned among the aims of the initiative. Research indicates that up to half of all mental disorders can be prevented through childhood interventions, including support for positive parenting in vulnerable families. MIELI stresses that investments in mental health will return great savings. The EU initiative should be underpinned by sound economic arguments and analyses to gain wide acceptance of the actions needed. MIELI notes that the six tentative objectives fail to recognise the universal nature of mental health, and most approaches are geared towards preventing mental disorders or providing support to people with mental disorders. This would be a missed opportunity to address the mental wellbeing, quality of life and sense of coherence of the population as a whole. MIELI strongly urges the Commission to also aim to enhance and strengthen psychological resilience of all EU citizens. A good mental health of the EU population is closely linked to the ability to resist information warfare and is highly interlinked with democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Read full response