ProMenpol

Lancet Study Documents Impacts of Financial Crisis on Mental Health

Tilia Bousios — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:27:00 GMT

A new report in The Lancet has shown that the financial crisis has resulted in increases in levels of depression. This is due to a combination of rises in unemployment and reductions in social welfare and health services. The study found that Greece, in particular has been affected negatively in terms of mental health suicide rates and physical health indicators.

The study found that Greece, in particular has been affected negatively in terms of mental health suicide rates and physical health indicators.

Find out more at:

http://www.thelancet.com/series/health-in-europe

European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) Launches Return to Work Guidelines

Tilia Bousios — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:13:00 GMT

The ENWHP has just launched European Guidelines on Return to Work for people with chronic illnesses, including mental health problems.

The ENWHP has just launched European Guidelines on Return to Work for people with chronic illnesses, including mental health problems. These guidelines are aimed at managers in enterprises and they provide a practical guide to ensuring that the employee has the best possible chance of successfully returning to work. Produced by the PhWork project, the guide is called "Promoting healthy work for workers with chronic illness: A guide to good practice", is easy to read and discusses the following topics:

A good practice guide on chronic illness at work
What is meant by workplace health promotion, return to work and chronic illness in the context of sustainable employment?
What employers can do to promote healthy work
What you can do: A six-step action plan
Recommendations

The guidelines are available at:

http://www.enwhp.org/enwhp-initiatives/9th-initiative-ph-work/european-guide-to-good-practice-guidelines.html

Resilienz-Fragebogen RS13 (inkl. Auswertung)

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:51:39 GMT

In bisherigen Veröffentlichungen zur Struktur der Resilienzskala (RS) wurden durch explorative Verfahren (Faktorenanalyse) verschiedene Modelle ermittelt und überprüft. Die Autoren der Originalskala, Wagnild und Young (1993), gaben eine zweifaktorielle Struktur mit einer Unterteilung von Resilienz in »Akzeptanz des Selbst« und »Persönliche Kompetenz« an. In diesem Beitrag werden das Konstrukt Resilienz und unterschiedliche Fragebögen zur Erfassung der Resilienz kurz skizziert. Die Resilienzskala RS-25 und eine Kurzform RS-13 werden vorgestellt. Für die Entwicklung dieser Kurzversion wurden Datensätze aus einer repräsentativen Befragung der deutschen Bevölkerung (Schumacher et al. 2005) und aus unterschiedlichen klinischen Befragungen zusammengefügt. In einer konfirmatorischen Analyse zeigte die Kurzskala RS-13 einen guten Modell-Fit. Sie kann als ökonomisches Messinstrument zur Erfassung von Resilienz in der klinischen Diagnostik eingesetzt werden.

The 7th World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:38:00 GMT

The 7th World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, will take place in Perth Oct 17.-19., 2012: Call for Papers is Due 31st March. The conference aims to cultivate partnerships incorporating science, policy and programmes. It offers an opportunity to convene policy makers, researchers, practitioners, and those living with a mental illness and their families to share and learn about effective policies and strategies for promotion and prevention.

The 7th World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, will take place in Perth Oct 17.-19., 2012 : Call for Papers is Due 31st March.

The conference aims to cultivate partnerships incorporating science, policy and programmes. It offers an opportunity to convene policy makers, researchers, practitioners, and those living with a mental illness and their families to share and learn about effective policies and strategies for promotion and prevention.

There are five sets of symposia across the three days of the Conference, based on the five strategic areas. Each set of symposia is directed at the different steps required to develop effective mental health and wellbeing. The strategic areas are: research and evaluation; advocacy and policy making; program implementation and dissemination; developing partnerships and capacity building.
Topic areas are:

Population based interventions
Mental health and wellbeing of children (0-12 yrs)
Mental health and wellbeing of young people (13-25 yrs)
Mental health and wellbeing of adults and older adults
Prevention of anxiety and depression throughout the lifespan
Suicide prevention
Mental health and wellbeing in primary care
Mental health and wellbeing and chronic physical illness

Abstracts of papers or posters are invited by 31st March 2012, and they should address one of the Conference Strategies and relate to one of the Conference Topic Areas e.g. Developing Partnerships in Suicide Prevention.

The I-am-Me-Program. Strengthening Self-worth in Kindergarten.

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:54:00 GMT

The program is based on the concept of salutogenesis by Aaron Antonovsky. Its aim is to promote the self-worth of children and their sense of belonging within a group. A polar bear and an elephant are accompanying the children during the „health-days“. They learn together how to recognize and to use their own strengths, they exercise caring for themselves and accepting others as well as resolving conflicts non-violently. The program consists of eight modules which include two to six „health days“. Each day can be planned individually, situationally and contextually. One I-am-me-day usually takes about two hours. The program addresses children of the age between 5 and 7 years who will attend school in the upcoming two years. The program includes time tables and materials. These materials can be used and modified according to individual needs. Exercises, graphs and Photostats are prepared for use without any further qualifications needed.

Plan for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Work – MIELI 2009

Tilia Bousios — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:44:00 GMT

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finland has published the proposals of the Mieli 2009 (Mind 2009) working group that was appointed to develop proposals for mental health and substance abuse work in years to come. The plan outlines the core principles and priorities for the future of mental health and substance abuse work until 2015, starting from the premise that these issues play a major role in public health. For the first time in Finland, this plan is setting joint objectives for this work at the national level. The focus is on strengthening the service user status by equal treatment and access to services, promoting mental health and freedom from substance abuse, prevention and treatment of problems and adverse effects and providing services for all age groups. New key policy definitions for service system development include the principle of low-threshold single entry points for access to treatment at social and health centres, and the introduction of integrated community care for mental health and substance abuse services. The plan is concluded with a presentation of the steering tools necessary for the implementation. The complete list of proposals and their justification can be accessed in http://info.stakes.fi/mielijapaihde/EN/index.htm

The 10th Nordic Public Health Conference Turku, Finland 24-26.8.2011

Solin Pia — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:56:25 GMT

The 10th Nordic Public Health Conference Turku, Finland 24-26.8.2011. We are pleased to invite you to the 10th Nordic Public Health Conference (NFHK2011) to be held in Turku, Finland on 24-26 August 2011 and would appreciate if you could pass on this invitation to your colleagues or networks in the health sector. Submissions of abstracts on various areas of public health are welcome. The main theme of the conference is 'Health promotion at a system level - How does the Nordic welfare model cope with today's challenges?'. The NFHK2011 Conference looks ahead to better implementation and intersectoral action on health promotion. For further information, please see the conference website: http://www.thl.fi/en_US/web/en/whats_new/events/nordic_public_health_conference_2011. Abstracts should be submitted via the website http://www.thl.fi/en_US/web/en/whatsnew/events/nordicpublichealthconference/abstracts. The deadline for abstract submission is 1 March 2011. With best regards, NFHK2011 organisers.

Culture, Health and Well-being -conference 21.-24.9.2011 in Turku, Finland

Solin Pia — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:46:39 GMT

The International Congress on Culture, Health and Well-being (CultWell) is to be held in Turku, Finland, on 21-24 September 2011. The congress aims to explore the link between culture, health and well-being, to identify methodological possibilities of the field, to consider what constitutes well-being, healthy life, and happiness, to share best practices involving culture and health to improve well-being and to promote artists` health and well-being. The International Congress on Culture, Health and Well-being (CultWell) is to be held in Turku, Finland, on 21-24 September 2011. The congress aims to explore the link between culture, health and well-being, to identify methodological possibilities of the field, to consider what constitutes well-being, healthy life, and happiness, to share best practices involving culture and health to improve well-being and to promote artists` health and well-being.

Mental Health in Workplace Settings

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:29:00 GMT

A thematic conference on Mental Health in Workplace Settings will be organised on 03-04 March 2011 in Berlin

My Share List

Argyro Kazaki — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:33:00 GMT

Mental Illness Costs Economy $51 billion per Year in Sick Days - Companies Advised to Invest in Intervention, Support Services

Tilia Bousios — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Mental illness is linked to more lost work days than any other chronic condition, costing the Canadian economy $51 billion a year in lost productivity, according to a new report. Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) looked at the cost of mental health leaves from employers' point of view and found that covering a mental-health leave costs companies twice as much as a short-term physical disability leave.

For every 1,000 Canadian employees, 145 short-term leaves are taken annually and about 20 of those are related to mental health, the study found. "Only a fraction of disability leaves are due to mental illness yet it costs employers the most. It is crucial that businesses make mental health and wellbeing a priority to prevent disability in the first place," said Carolyn Dewa, lead investigator in the study and CAMH's head of work and well-being research. Dewa's study, which appeared in the summer issue of the Journal of Environmental Medicine, showed that the average short-term physical disability leave is about 33 days. On average employers pay $9,000 for each case. The study found the most common reasons employees take physical disability leave include respiratory illness, muscular skeletal problems, injury and digestive disorders. Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are the mental illnesses that appear most in the Canadian workforce, with each case leading to an average 65-day leave and $18,000 bill. About 10 per cent of Canadians in the workforce between 18 and 54 years old suffer from mental health issues. Dewa centred her investigation on an Ontario company with more than 12,400 employees in various cities and rural areas. She said the project was a "mutual collaboration" and the company approached CAMH because it was interested in making sure it had a healthy workplace. Dewa could not identify the company but said it represents 13 per cent of the Ontario resource sector with employees in various levels including maintenance, administration, engineering and technology. The researchers looked at more than 33,900 records from 2003 to 2006 to compile their findings and Dewa said her team's findings reflect the rest of the province. Companies should invest in early intervention strategies, access to support systems to help cope with stress and offer help with medical expenses to keep employees healthy and aware of a good work/life balance, Dewa said. The organization is now examining how strong the connection is between workplace stress and mental health. "We're still trying to figure out how much work contributes to overall stress. Once you walk into the door of your workplace, you don't stop thinking about home and once you get home, you don't stop thinking of work," she said. Another report released Wednesday said that Ontario could spend $7 billion a year in health care and lost productivity, as more than one in 10 Ontarians could be suffering from diabetes by 2020. The Canadian Diabetes Association's study said the illness already costs $4.9 billion annually, mostly in lost productivity and long-term disability claims. Another $1 billion is spent on hospital visits, doctors' fees and medications. © Copyright The Vancouver Sun

ProMenPol Newsletter No.12 Now Available

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:44:34 GMT

The 12th ProMenPol Newsletter, December 2009 edition, is now available for downloading in PDF format.

Newsletter Issue No. 12

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:21:00 GMT

ProMenPol Credits

Dear colleagues, After the successful completion of the ProMenPol project this will be our last newsletter. The ProMenPol Team would like to take the opportunity to thank everybody for their enormous support, contribution and feedback. We have enjoyed working with you. New challenges and projects are coming up and we would like to place ProMenPol also in your hands. Once you have registered as a member for the ProMenPol website (free registration), you have several possibilities to disseminate your own events, news, documents and even tools. For a short explanation how this can be done, please scroll down to the end of this newsletter.
We are quite confident that ProMenPol lives on, therefore let this rather be a bye-for-now instead of a farewell.
All the best,
Dr. Karl Kuhn
on behalf of the ProMenPol-Team

The Mental Health Promotion Network (MHPNet)

The ProMenPol database includes more than 400 globally available tools. With the end of this project the members of the ProMenPol consortium have decided to continue the work and maintenance of the website. Moreover, the consortium sees the need to create a global network for mental health promotion building on the work ProMenPol and offering a broad scope of mental health promotion tools.

Mental Health Promotion is a top priority not only for Europe: the economic crisis has shown that the burden of this crisis manifests itself in mental ill health. To promote the resilience of individuals with innovative tools is one of the future ambitions of MHPNet.

A lot of policies show the need for such a network:

One of the four priority areas of the 2005 re-launch of the Lisbon Strategy on Growth and Jobs has been to ‘invest in people and modernise labour markets’. More specifically, the objectives of the strategy include improving the skills, employability and adaptability of the workforce, as well as promoting the functioning of labour markets in the EU, including the greater participation of population groups that currently face difficulties and may be excluded from the labour market. Promoting and maintaining good mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is of key relevance to the achievement of these objectives across the European Union.

This importance of mental health and wellbeing is also recognised in the Community Strategy on Health and Safety at Work for 2007-2012. This refers to the contribution that guaranteeing quality and productivity at work can play in promoting economic growth and employment. It highlights the common and increasing contributions of stress and poor mental health as reasons for work absenteeism and occupational disability. Taking account of projections from the WHO that psychological problems will be the principle source of incapacity by 2020, it advocates a change towards a more preventive culture, including making the promotion of mental health at the workplace a priority.

The Commission White Paper "Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013" in emphasising the substantial economic costs of mental disorders, noted that the majority of these are due to lost productivity in the workplace. Community actions in the field of mental health and measures to promote the health of the workforce were announced in this document.

With over 800 newsletter recipients, over 250 conference participants, 60 policy workshop participants and more than 40.000 hits per month on the website, the ProMenPol project has already created an informal network in the field of mental health promotion across Europe. In the context of two follow-up projects the enhancement this network is ensured. Additionally, two new projects will build on the ProMenPol work with 1) the conceptualisation of an MHP E-learning tool and 2) the preparation of handbooks for mental health promotion.

Until the network has been formalised in a more official way, the ProMenPol newsletter will be continued on a quarterly basis on behalf of the network. More information about the follow-up projects and network activities will be available at www.mentalhealthpromotion.net

John Henderson

In early January we heard the sad news the Dr. John Henderson, a member of the ProMenPol project team whom many of you will have known and respected, died on the 4th January. John passed away peacefully at home, in the company of his family, and after a characteristically determined and dignified fight with cancer.
John served Mental Health Europe as a senior policy adviser, and the Director of Mental Health Europe, Mary van Dievel said:

"We will all deeply miss him, but we are lucky to have such good memories of all he has done. John was a true European, believing deeply in the benefits that come with partnerships and collaboration in Europe and the European Union. He dedicated his life to improve the lives of others less fortunate. Lately he had been involved in working towards a better mental health for people and communities in Europe. We will not only miss John for the warm person he was, but we will also miss the wisdom he had and shared."

Writing in The Scotsman newspaper, Dr Bill Boyd summarised some of John's career achievements:

Returning in 1980 to Europe, this time as the mental health adviser to WHO's European office in Copenhagen, he remained for the next five years involved in developing a wide range of mental health programmes across Europe at a time of considerable political and social upheaval. His work focused on the reform of psychiatry and the de-institutionalisation of outdated asylums in eastern European countries, helping to ensure they addressed some of the appalling human rights abuses suffered by the mentally ill.

He threw himself into the European mental health scene - first with the European Council of the World Federation of Mental Health, becoming president from 1994-97."

Some of you will know Gregor and Nigel, two of John's four sons through their work on mental health work. Over the last few years I came to know him through the work I have been doing on an EU level. John was a psychiatrist, in the social mould. He cared for people, not disorders, and from his early days in practice in Aberdeenshire to his last days of work only months ago, he was tirelessly committed to the cause, and took it, with eloquence and effect to the highest levels of policy and government.

At the Scottish Office and later with the WHO in South East Asia and Europe, John championed dignity for people with mental illness, de-institutionalisation, recovery, and person centeredness. When he retired from clinical practice he continued to work tirelessly for NGOs in mental health.

He was one of the international observers who worked with the EC and Greek government to open up the hospital on the island of Leros, where many people with mental health problems were treated appallingly, isolated and restrained. He helped change the system, with the support of the EC and the government, bridging the gaps, and bringing together disparate viewpoints. He continued this work in eastern and south-eastern Europe in the last decade. He will be sorely missed there.

John managed to reach and influence policy and politicians at highest level, whilst never 'selling short' the ordinary man or vulnerable person for the often tempting compromise that risks being a lowest common denominator. He taught me a lot about dancing on that line, about harnessing passion and drive so it becomes fusion and not fission. I was privileged indeed to be able to call on his advice, and learn at his feet.

Chris O'Sullivan

Dissemination Possibilities with ProMenPol Website

The ProMenPol website was designed to act as a pan-European gateway to results, documentation and related issues emanating from the project. Additionally, the website holds several possibilities for registered members to disseminate their own results, tools, events and news.

For ProMenPol members accessible parts of the website include the following sections:

News & Events: Here latest developments in the field of mental health promotion can be published ranging from conference announcements, project launches, new publications to policy developments. Newly added events and news will be displayed in the right hand column on the ProMenPol website’s main page.

Projects: Here projects related to mental health (and its promotion) can be entered and described. Mainly projects which are primarily undertaken on a European level have been entered. However the section is open to actions on national and local level, too.

Networks and other Organisations: The section contains links to mental health associated networks and organisations.

Policy Documents: Policy related documents in the field of mental health (promotion), such as the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-Being are entered here. These policy documents may relate to activities and actions on both a European level as well as a national level.

Bibliography: References to (scientific) articles regarding mental health and public health are provided in this section. The section is open to English references as well as publications in other languages.

Database: In addition to retrieving tools form the ProMenPol Database, it is also possible for registered members to upload tools to the database themselves.

In addition, registered member receive the ProMenPol newsletter which is send out on a quarterly basis and is used as a vehicle to disseminate information about latest developments in the field mental health promotion.

In order to become a ProMenPol member users must sign up using the ‘Sign up Now!’ link provided on the left side of the screen – just below the ‘Login’ button in the Members Area.

Once accessed, users are provided with the ‘Members Area-ProMenPol Registration’ screen which requests the users email address for verification purposes and the commencement of the registration process.

Please Note, when the ‘start registration’ button is clicked an e-mail notification will be automatically sent to the user’s e-mail along with their members password.

Once a valid email is entered and the start registration button is clicked users are provided with the following ‘Members Profile’ screen (next page).

The Members Profile screen asks users to complete basic information about themselves and the respective organisation that they represent. Additionally, questions about how they would like to engage with the project are asked as is the privacy question “Make My Profile Visible to the Public?”.

Once the registration process is completed, users may then login using the ‘members area login’ screen and begin to add their events, news, publications and tools to the ProMenPol database.

A full description on how to enter tools in the ProMenPol database can be found at: ProMenPol Database Description

Download Newsletter No.: 12

John Henderson - A True Champion and Friend

Tilia Bousios — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:09:00 GMT

John served Mental Health Europe as a senior policy adviser, and the Director of Mental Health Europe, Mary van Dievel said:

"We will all deeply miss him, but we are lucky to have such good memories of all he has done. John was a true European, believing deeply in the benefits that come with partnerships and collaboration in Europe and the European Union. He dedicated his life to improve the lives of others less fortunate. Lately he had been involved in working towards a better mental health for people and communities in Europe. We will not only miss John for the warm person he was, but we will also miss the wisdom he had and shared."

Writing in The Scotsman newspaper, Dr Bill Boyd summarised some of John's career achievements:

"In 1976 he was appointed mental health adviser to the World Health Organisation's south-east Asia office. Based in New Delhi, Henderson brought his expertise and passion to a huge "parish", which stretched from Pakistan to Outer Mongolia, serving a quarter of the world's population. His accounts of his travels and his meetings with local political, medical and community leaders were always fascinating, and his special skills in firm and fair diplomacy, and his experience and abilities in bringing people, professions and politicians together helped make an impact in a region where, at the time, mental health and the rights of people with mental illness were significantly neglected.

Returning in 1980 to Europe, this time as the mental health adviser to WHO's European office in Copenhagen, he remained for the next five years involved in developing a wide range of mental health programmes across Europe at a time of considerable political and social upheaval. His work focused on the reform of psychiatry and the de-institutionalisation of outdated asylums in eastern European countries, helping to ensure they addressed some of the appalling human rights abuses suffered by the mentally ill.

He threw himself into the European mental health scene - first with the European Council of the World Federation of Mental Health, becoming president from 1994-97."

Some of you will know Gregor and Nigel, two of John's four sons through their work on mental health work. Over the last few years I came to know him through the work I have been doing on an EU level. John was a psychiatrist, in the social mould. He cared for people, not disorders, and from his early days in practice in Aberdeenshire to his last days of work only months ago, he was tirelessly committed to the cause, and took it, with eloquence and effect to the highest levels of policy and government.

Chris O'Sullivan

Working our Way to Better Mental Health: A Framework for Action

Evi Kostakou — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:14:00 GMT

Mental ill-health presents a major challenge to the well-being of our society, and the strength of our economy. It blights lives, traps people in poverty and prevents the country harnessing the talents and potential of hundreds of thousands of people. Government is determined to lead the way in meeting this challenge. Poor mental health is very common. At any one time, one in three of our working-age population may be experiencing some kind of distress or mental health condition such as depression. The vast majority, fortunately, will recover quickly. But for far too many, the result is a lengthy sickness absence or long-term unemployment. Indeed mental ill-health is now the most common reason for claiming health-related benefits and 86 per cent remain on the benefits for more than three months (compared to 76 per cent for all other claimants). And the evidence shows that the longer people are detached from the labour market, the less chance they have of returning to work. This is even more of a risk when, as now, global economic problems are pushing up jobless figures around the world. We have learnt from past recessions of the real danger of short-term job loss turning into permanent unemployment and are determined not to repeat these mistakes. The positive link between employment and mental health is absolutely clear. Research shows people generally enjoy better mental health when they are in work. In contrast, the longer individuals are absent or out of work, the more likely they are to experience depression or anxiety. Work can therefore play a vital role in improving everyone’s well-being and mental health. Of this we estimate around one third - £30-40 billion – can be attributed to mental ill-health, in lost production, and National Health Service (NHS) treatment. And it does not count the additional and hidden cost of people with mental health conditions still in jobs but working beneath their full potential. A modern economy cannot afford such waste of individual talent nor the high welfare costs. We are determined to step up our efforts to support people in work and to help those out of work to return quickly to fulfilling and rewarding employment.

This document establishes a cross-government approach to tackling this cost and waste. It has been developed with the support of Dame Carol Black, the National Director for Health and Work, who consulted mental health specialists, senior academics, representatives from business and third sector organisations, as well as people with mental health conditions. The framework for action has a dual approach. It is designed to:

Improve well-being at work for everyone; and
Deliver significantly better employment results for people with mental health conditions, supporting then into work, helping them to stay in work and assisting them to return to work more quickly after sickness absences.

This is a challenging agenda – made even more so by the current economic conditions. But the Government believes the economic climate makes it even more important to step in to help people through new and effective solutions. The framework identifies six key areas where action is vital to achieve our goals. They are:

Action to change attitudes to mental health.
Action to improve health and well-being at work for the whole population.
Swift intervention when things go wrong.
Co-ordinated help tailored to individuals’ needs both in and out of work.
Action to build resilience from early years and throughout working lives.
Co-ordinated action across government to ensure we deliver success. Action on employment and mental health must be a long-term commitment.

The wider aim of this comprehensive programme for action is to influence future policy development across governments, departments and throughout the wider public sector, and bring about changes in behaviour in organisations and individuals. And it is designed to build a long-term commitment to joint working between Government and its partners. Together we can work our way to better mental health.

D5.4 Conference Report Year 3

Tilia Bousios — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:37:00 GMT

The third ProMenPol Conference took place in Berlin on the 8th and 9th of October. This years attendance was larger than ever with approximately, 90 people attended this invitational only international conference. All Conference Presentations are now available online. Whereas a Full Conference Report is now available

Ensuring Continuous Progress

Evi Kostakou — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:29:36 GMT

Aims

To ensure that the MHP programme is improved as it proceeds
To ensure that future MHP programmes are optimally designed

What Needs to be Done

The purpose of this activity is to ensure that the MHP programme is subject to continuous improvement as it proceeds. In addition, when a given MHP programme has been completed, it is important to ensure that any subsequent programmes take account of the experiences gained in running the first one.

These can only be undertaken effectively if there is adequate monitoring and evaluation information collected. In the case of improving the quality of a programme while it is running, monitoring information needs to be available in a timely and understandable fashion. In addition, the project must be set up in such a way that relevant information is communicated to people who are in a position to make changes to the programme, i.e. the project manager and those involved directly in implementation.

In the case of seeking to improve subsequent programmes, the timeliness of information is less urgent. However, the quality of the information needs to be high, as it must serve two functions – it must be sufficiently detailed to allow for programme design decisions to be made and it must be sufficiently persuasive to allow it to be used to influence decision makers to sanction new MHP programmes.

The activities of this phase are key to achieving better MHP both over the lifecycle of a specific programme and also over the course of multiple MHP programmes.

Who is Involved?

Project Manager, Project Team, Programme Implementers, Decision Makers

Carrying out Plans

Evi Kostakou — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:29:36 GMT

Aims

To communicate to participants the activities that have been selected and how they may become involved in them.
To implement each activity according to the schedule.

What Needs to be Done

Before implementing any of the activities of the MHP programme, it is important to ensure that all products; aids, materials, programme facilities and whatever is needed to run the activity is available in sufficient quantities and ready to use. Prior to the implementation of an activity a meeting should take place for all involved in the running of the activity to make sure that everything is organised and that everyone is clear on their responsibilities.

For some activities or improvements it can be useful to pre-test them in practice, before introducing them on a larger scale in the setting. Conducting a pre-test activity is also a useful way to gather participant’s reactions to the activity.

You will need to inform those involved of when the activity will be run, the duration of the activity, the cost (if any) and determine the number of individuals interested in participating in the activity.

Incentives are a useful way to encourage and maintain effective involvement during the implementation of activities. Depending on the setting, incentives such as providing T-shirts, rebates on course fees, or cash payments can encourage people to enrol in an activity or programme.

Who is Involved?

The main participants here are the Project Manager, who directs and manages the activities and the people responsible for implementing each MHP activity. The target groups will be involved as participants in the activity.

Project Planning

Evi Kostakou — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:29:35 GMT

Aim

To produce a project plan that enables the project to proceed efficiently

What Needs to be Done

This activity will produce a project plan that will enable all of the participants in the project to be clear on what will happen, when it will happen, who will do it and what resources will be applied to it. The specific elements of the project plan will be:

Aims of the project
Targets of the project
Activities to be undertaken
Responsibilities and accountabilities
Budget for the project
Project schedule
Expected outcomes of the project
Contingency plans
Training needs
Resources required
Monitoring procedures

This plan will be used both for communication and project management purposes, i.e. all of the stakeholders should be aware of its details and the project manager will use it manage the operations of the project.

The plan should be implemented in a flexible manner to take account of any changes in circumstances that occur during the project.

Who is Involved?

The Project Team are responsible of developing the project plan. The project manager is responsible for its implementation.

You should note that there may be a need to change the membership of the project team at this stage and to appoint a different Project Manager. The tasks of implementing the plan are quite different to all of the activities that have taken place up until this stage. Technical and managerial skills may be needed for the remaining activities the remaining activities (depending on their nature) and these may not exist within the original project team. In addition, it is important to try to integrate the project into the mainstream of the operations of the setting – selecting a project manager who is in the mainstream will help this goal.

Welcome to the ProMenPol Toolkit

Tilia Bousios — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:29:00 GMT

The ProMenPol toolkit consists of 4 inter-related manuals on how to implement mental health promotion. These are outlined below:

Each of these manuals can be downloaded as a PDF document, but you can also use the Generic Manual online as a means of navigating your way through the tools database.

The Generic Manual outlines an approach to implementing MHP that can be used in any of the settings. The settings specific manuals provide advice on issues that are particular to each setting.

If you wish to use the Generic Manual online, you can use the diagram below as a means of navigation. You can also use the menu on the left hand side to help in navigation.

Developing a Project Team

Evi Kostakou — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:41:33 GMT

Aim

Establish project team

What Needs to be Done

This activity is perhaps the most important activity in the Preparations phase - it builds the concrete structures which will be needed for the MHP process to proceed. The more secure the foundations which are built here, the easier the process will become and the more far-reaching the effects of the MHP project will be.

Establishing a Project Team

There are two ways of establishing a project team:

By adapting existing setting structures (e.g. health and safety committees); or
By setting up a new team with the explicit brief to support the MHP process.

The issues which need to be addressed here include the membership of the team to run the project, who will the team report to, what will the function or brief of the team be, and what communications channels will it use?

The brief of the project team will vary according to the size of the MHP project, the level of formality within the setting, the resources available to the project and the nature of the MHP project itself.

Scoping the Project

Evi Kostakou — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:41:33 GMT

Aim

Establish the brief of the MHP project
Gather existing information on the mental health activities within the setting

What Needs to be Done

The goal of this activity is to situate the MHP project within the context of ongoing operations of the setting. It involves defining the brief for the project, what problems it is expected to solve, what resources are likely to be involved etc. It also involves gathering information on existing activities within the setting. This activity is mainly an exercise in understanding the setting, the nature of its current health related activities and the nature of the problem which the MHP project will address.

An important task is to make an inventory of health activities which already take place within the setting. This information is important, not only because it prevents duplication of effort, but because it will provide a good level of insight into the health philosophy of the setting.

Information about current health activities and possible problems which may be solved by MHP programmes is usually gained by conducting interviews with the principal stakeholders.

Who is Involved?

Scoping the extent of the MHP project needs to be undertaken by someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the MHP process and who can provide information on what the project typically involves in terms of resources, types of activities, levels of commitment, etc. Some settings will have in-house expertise, for example from the occupational health department, the human resource department or from general management while other settings may need to bring in an external consultant to support this activity.

Communications

Evi Kostakou — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:41:32 GMT

Aim

Establish communication channels and reporting relationships for the project

Communications and Reporting

There is a need to set up communications channels and reporting relationships. Most settings already have these structures in place and you should try to integrate communications and reporting procedures for the MHP project into the existing structures. As one of the more difficult tasks in any initiative is that of communications, appropriate channels need to be set up at an early stage to promote the effective participation of all stakeholders. Consideration should be given to the following issues when setting up these channels:

Which groups are the targets of communication?
What kinds of messages are to be sent?
What are the communications mechanisms in the organisation?
How is progress feedback to be communicated to the project team?

You also need to address reporting relationships. One of the dangers in setting up a project is that it becomes isolated from the normal decision making machinery of the setting. This involves seeking and maintaining reporting relationships with the strategic, financial and human resource functions within the setting.

Who is Involved?

The network of people involved in setting up the project and the main stakeholders will be involved in selecting people to participate in the project team. These should also be involved in identifying channels of communication and agreeing reporting relationships for the project.

Welcome to the ProMenPol Website

Evi Kostakou — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:52:00 GMT

This is the website of ProMenPol which aims to support the practices and policies of mental health promotion in three settings: schools, workplaces and older people’s residences.

To do so, ProMenPol has produced the following services and outputs:

Tools Database
Field trials
ProMenPol Toolkit

The following Fact Sheet summarises the project's activities. ProMenPol Fact Sheet

Register as a PROMENPOL Member

PROMENPOL is a free service that enables its Members to upload documents on to various parts of the ProMenPol website in addition to receiving the PROMENPOL Newsletter.

Contact

Evi Kostakou — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:35:56 GMT

The ProMenPol Database

Tilia Bousios — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:21:00 GMT

Welcome to the ProMenPol Database !

The ProMenPol Database is a structured selection of Mental Health Promotion tools in three distinct settings:

Schools
The Workplace and
Older Peoples’ Residence.

Within these settings the associated Mental Health Promotion tools are structured according to a modification of the ICF Classification, ICD10 Classification and a categorisation based on Health Promotion models.

The ProMenPol Database and its associated Tools can be accessed in a number of ways by clicking on the links on the left hand part of the screen.

These links include:

Browsing the Database – which enables the user to view the entire ProMenPol Database in the language selected. Within this option you can also add your own tools either in English, German, Dutch Estonian or Finnish by simply registering as a ProMenPol Member.
Simple Search – which enables users to search the entirety of the ProMenPol database regardless of language based on a pre-selected number of filters.
Advanced Keyword Search – which enables users to execute an Advanced Keyword Search based on the ICF Classification, ICD10 Classification and a categorisation based on Health Promotion models.

A detailed description of the different functionalities is provided. ProMenPol Database Description

You can also add your own tools either in English, German, Dutch, Estonian or Finnish by simply registering as a ProMenPol Member and accessing the language of your choice from the pull down menu at the top of the screen.

Good Practices

Tilia Bousios — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:15:00 GMT

Final Lessons from the Field Trials

In the course of the ProMenPol project several organisations and institutions from different settings have conducted Field Trials of MHP tools or reported on prior mental health promotion (MHP) implementation experiences. The aim of the Field Trials was to obtain experiences from practice on the implementation of MHP tools.

Several pilot sites reported on the lessons learned during implementation. The responses from practice provide significant insights which can help to strengthen the mental health capacity of institutions and organisations. Furthermore, the feedback from various practices will help to strengthen the links between practice, science and policy in the field of mental health promotion and protection.

Through its Field Trials, ProMenPol has received practice reports from six schools, seven workplaces and three older people’s residences. A total of 16 reports are available, which describe the learning experiences and recommendations which can be drawn for policy and practice in the field.

The majority of organisations and institutions had a good or very good experience of implementation and most reported that their MHP initiative succeeded. The desired goals were achieved and the Field Trials reported a high level of acceptance for the MHP tools used. In addition, the target groups (pupils, employees or residents) reported high levels of satisfaction. Field Trial participants reported valuable and sustainable organisational changes, including positive effects on mental health and an increased sense of well-being among the individuals involved.

In addition, the Pilot Sites provided valuable feedback and lessons learned. In relation to the practice of MHP, the lessons learned were:

Increased awareness and knowledge of mental health promotion
The importance of using well designed and structured, user-friendly and easy to implement MHP initiatives
The benefits of using project management techniques
The need to tailor the intervention to the specific needs of your target group (respect the diversity of the target group and involve them in the planning if possible)
Ensure high levels of participation
Adapt the MHP tool as necessary (e.g. avoid overlapping with existing initiatives)
Make sure you have enough preparation and implementation time and make a realistic schedule for the initiative
Provide appropriate training, resources and a supportive and encouraging environment
Seek the support and involvement of skilled staff
Evaluate the MHP implementation on a continuous basis.

In relation to MHP policy, the lessons learned included:

Ensure sufficient resources (e.g. skilled staff, training) and financial support (e.g. funding, grants) are available
There is a need to have a developmental element to policy (e.g. parental work, staff support, counselling)
There is a need for Mental Health education and curriculum development (e.g. primary and secondary schools but also for trainers in the field)
Conduct awareness programmes on MHP (e.g. media campaigns such as anti-stigma)
Find local MHP champions for policy initiatives
Integrate MHP in physical activity programmes and in health and safety laws
Support the development of co-operative relationships and networks between experts and practitioners in the field
Promote a more widespread discussion about MHP and well-being issues in a larger context

Examples of Good Practices - Lessons from the Settings

School Setting VERRUCKT NA UND - Finland Qualitative Online Report

Older Peoples Setting - CHANGING MINDS - Finland Qualitative Online Report

Older Peoples Setting ARJEN AAPINEN - Fnaland Qualitative Online Report

Older Peoples Setting HOITOKOTI PAIVAKUMPU - Finland Qualitative Online Report

Members' Area

Tilia Bousios — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 09:45:00 GMT

PROMENPOL Registration

If you have not registered with PROMENPOL, enter your e-mail address in the form below and click the Start Registration button.

PROMENPOL is a free service that enables its Members to upload tools to the ProMenPol Database and documents to various parts of the ProMenPol website in addition to receiving the PROMENPOL Newsletter.

Resources

Tilia Bousios — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:39:31 GMT

Welcome to the Resource Section of ProMenPol. Within this section you will find the following types of information:

ProMenPol Library: All documents produced and published by the ProMenPol Team, such as public deliverables, conference presentations, marketing flyers etc.

Partners

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:26:53 GMT

Coordinator

Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Medizin (BAUA), Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health BAUA
Friedrich-Henkel-Weg 1-25
44149 Dortmund, GERMANY
Rena Hohenstein: hohenstein [dot] rena [at] baua.bund.de

The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) with head office in Dortmund was formed on 01.07.1996 as a public law institute without legal capacity. The BAuA is an authority within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

As a pool of competence and a knowledge service provider in matters of safety and health at work, we offer advice and practical assistance to companies, government, the social partners, the general public and, not least, you. We research, analyse, inform, publish, co-ordinate, develop, train and advise to help bring about a humane world of work with safe, healthy and competitive workplaces.

Partners

Work Reseach Centre WRC
3 Sundrive Road, Dublin 12 - IRELAND
Tel.: +353 1 4927042
Dr. Richard Wynne - Director - r [dot] wynne [at] wrc-research.ie

The Work Research Centre is a research and consultancy company providing a multidisciplinary perspective and service in five main areas:

Socio-economic aspects of telecommunications and telematics
Health and wellbeing in the workplace
ICT solutions for disabled and older people
Human resource aspects of organisational change
Health and social service innovation

The Rehab Group REHAB
Beach Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4, IRELAND
Tel.: +353 1 2077200
Collette Ryan - collette [dot] ryan [at] rehabcare.ie

Rehab is a leading non-governmental organisation which works towards a world where every person has the opportunity to achieve their potential. We work in local communities to provide high-quality services and opportunities to people who need them.

Over 3,600 Rehab staff provide health and social care, training and education, and rehabilitation, employment and commercial services in Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and Poland. These services enhance the quality of people’s lives, by supporting people in fulfilling personal goals, in accessing new opportunities and in playing a more active role in their communities. Rehab enables people to make the most of their skills and talents, to take up employment or further education and to live more independent lives.

The people who currently use our services include young people and adults with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities, people with mental health difficulties, people with autism and people with an acquired brain injury. A range of essential services are also provided to older people, carers and others who are marginalised.

Every year, more than 56,000 people and their families benefit from the supports provided by Rehab in over 200 locations. Rehab works to influence leaders and policymakers to deliver positive change in the lives of the people who access our services, and has consultative status as a non-Governmental organisation at the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Forschungsinstitut des Roten Kreuzes, Research Institute of the Red Cross FRK
Nottendorfer Gasse 21, A -1031 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Tel.: +43 1 79580-3425
Gert Lang - Researcher - Gert [dot] Lang [at] w.roteskreuz.at
Katharina Resch - Katharina.[dot] Resch [at] w.roteskreuz.at

Skills and expertise of the organisation
What kind of services or support does a person need both today and in the future facing his or her workplace, security in society, age or even sickness? The Research Institute of the Red Cross broadly approaches and discriminatingly deals with relevant societal problems and – in cooperation with its partners – works on developing creative and innovative solutions. Our central concern and also integral part of all our activities is to guarantee the transfer of project results back into the practical context of health and social services. Theory and practical experience go hand in hand in order to assure the quality of our research. Our Institute is currently participating in national and international research projects and programmes.

The Research Institute of the Red Cross works in four research fields:

Rescue, emergency care and security - Quick and competent medical care for emergency patients is one of the core competences of the Red Cross. Research studies aim at pointing out possibilities to increase the well- being of the patient during transportation with the help of new technologies (e.g. acupressure, oxygen, thermal cover) and how their state of health can better be monitored and improved. Outcome- studies (e.g. laymen defibrillation) make a relevant contribution to the further development of immediate life-saving measures.
Health care and nursing - Demographic change leads to a range of alterations in the final stage of one’s life and to die in a dignified way with the respective care and attendance is one of our main focuses. Our Institute aims at analysing and developing solutions for these changes.
Labour market, employment and volunteer services - Our research also focuses on unemployment and its consequences, reintegration and integration of people seeking employment, empowerment and age management. Due to demographic change, the age group of people over 60 years needs to find meaningful fields of activity in the context of „active ageing“.
Health promotion and prevention - Due to expanding costs in the health sector new strategies will be required in the near future. Health promotion first of all aims at strengthening one’s health potential and secondly at reducing health-weakening factors, on an individual basis as well as in one’s personal living and working conditions. Our research activities centre around workplace health promotion and health promotion for older people.

EWORX S.A. EWX
66 Jean Moreas, 15231 Halandri, Athens, GREECE
Tel.: +30 210 6148380
Tilia Boussios - Senior Consultant - tb [at] eworx.gr

EWORX S.A. offers ICT consulting and software development services leveraging on the convergence of electronic media and the growing need for innovative solutions to organisational and corporate challenges in the globalised economy. Established in 2001 and headquartered in Athens, the company currently employs over 20 highly trained and skilled professionals who blend experience with multi-disciplinary expertise in consulting, technology, project management, marketing and branding, content and design.

EWORX main services include ICT consulting as well as design, development and deployment of bespoke networked software solutions with emphasis on innovation and usability. The company promotes open source and open standards -based solutions fostering portability and interoperability, vendor-independence and quick return of investment. Application areas include Client/Server Applications, Internet/Intranet/Extranet Portal development, Content Management of multi-lingual and content-rich, database-driven websites, e-Government, e-Learning and e-Business Solutions. In order to provide quality and state-of-the art solutions, EWORX maintains and develops a rich skill-set which includes: ICT strategy and requirements definition, business process modelling, object oriented analysis and design, system development, content strategy development and editorial policy definition, branding and electronic marketing.

Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute ERSI
Öie 39, 11615 Tallinn, ESTONIA
Tel.: +372 6516550
Dr. Airi Värnik - Director - airi [dot] varnik [at] neti.ee
Merike Sisask - Project Coordinator - ProMenPol - merike [dot] sisask [at] neti.ee

ERSI is a non-governmental organisation established in 1993. ERSI is incorporated to the Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences since 2000 and registered at the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research as research and development institution since 2004. ERSI is a leading centre and a focal point of the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs in mental health and suicide research and prevention in Estonia. ERSI has broad collaborative contacts both nationally and internationally (WHO, International Academy for Suicide Research, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Stockholm Karolinska Institute, Leipzig University, Würzburg University, Frankfurt Goethe University, FIOCH, American Suicide Prevention Foundation etc) and is involved in several EC funded projects (EAAD, MONSUE, IMHPA, ProMenPol) and WHO collaborative projects (SUPRE-MISS, HBSC).

National Institute for Health and Welfare THL
P.O. Box 30, FI-00271, Helsinki, FINLAND
Tel.: +358 20 610 7331
Eija Stengard - Project Coordinator- ProMenPol - Eija [dot] Stengard [at] thl.fi

The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is a research institute under the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

THL works to promote the well-being and health of the population, prevent diseases and social problems, and develop social and health services.
THL is the statutory statistical authority in health and welfare and maintains a strong knowledge base within its own field of operations. THL is also responsible for the application of this knowledge.
THL has a wide range of tools to carry out its responsibilities: research, follow-up and evaluation, development, expert influence, official tasks as well as international co-operation.
THL seeks to serve the broader society in addition to the scientific community, actors in the field and decision-makers in central government and municipalities

Mental Health Europe - Santé Mentale Europe a.i.s.b.l. MHE-SME
Boulevard Clovis 7, B-1000 Brussels, BELGIUM
Tel.: + 32 22800468
Mary Van Dievel - Director - mvandievel [at] mhe-sme.org

MHE is a non-governmental organisation set up in 1985 and committed to the promotion of positive mental health and well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, the improvement of care, advocacy for and the protection of the human rights of (ex)users of mental health services and their families and carers. MHE’s mission is to promote mental health and well-being of all citizens, from all minority groups and the whole of Europe.

Together with its member organisations MHE develops European exchange projects, formulates recommendations for policies and strategies on mental health and well-being and lobbies the European institutions in order to increase awareness of the issue of positive mental health and well-being – just as MHE members' campaign at the national and local level.

MHE offers an opportunity for every organisation that wants to contribute to building a Europe in which all citizens enjoy a high level of mental health, within the European Union as well as beyond it in the larger Europe. MHE supports the emancipation of different groups in the mental health field in order to establish equal partnerships and opportunities among the different parties and to ensure that the mental health needs of the population are met.

In order to fulfill this strategic role, MHE works closely with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, has a participative status with the Council of Europe and a liaison function for mental health promotion with the European Commission.
MHE is a member of several European advocacy and lobbying groups: the European Public Health Alliance, the European Disability Forum, the Social Platform and the European Women’s Lobby. MHE's Secretariat is based in Brussels (Belgium).