News & Events | 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

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.

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

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.

John Henderson - A True Champion and Friend

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

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:

"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.

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

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.

ProMenPol Newsletter No.11 Now Available

Tilia Bousios — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:49:00 GMT

The 11th ProMenPol Newsletter, November 2009 edition, is now available for downloading in PDF format.

Sickies and Long-Term Absence give Employers a Headache – CBI/AXA Survey

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:49:17 GMT

This document describes the emerging gap between public and private sector absence rates in the UK. Absence from work cost the UK economy £13.2 billion last year as teh average employee took almost seven (6.7) days off sick, while the gulf between absence rates in the public sector and the provate sector grew to a record level. The survey highlights the need for a new approach to the management of long-term absence

The latest CBI/AXA survey revealed that average absence in the public sector totalled 9 days - 55% higher than the 5.8 day average of the private sector, where absence figures reduced during 2007.In the public sector, the highest absence rates were found in health/social care services (12.6 days) and police and probation services (9.9 days), while education saw lower overall levels (7.5%). Absence is also influenced by other factors including organisation size, region, manual/ non-manual employment, job satisfaction and employee morale. Non-work related stress, anxiety and depression were the most significant causes of long-term absence among non-manual staff. The survey highlights the need for a fresh, proactive approach to managing long-term absence and reducing the uptake of incapacity benefit. The introduction of “fit notes” is invited by employers - helping them to understand what duties an employee can perform and allowing them to make arrangements where possible for an earlier or phased return to work.

ProMenPol Newsletter No.10 Now Available

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:12:50 GMT

The 10th ProMenPol Newsletter, October 2009 edition, is now available for downloading in PDF format.

Third ProMenPol Conference Successfully Completed

Tilia Bousios — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:14:25 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.

International Master in Mental Health Policy and Services

Tilia Bousios — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:49:56 GMT

An International Master in Mental Health Policy and Services developed by the University of Lisbon, in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

The course has two main objectives:

Develop the knowledge and the skills that are required to participate in the formulation and implementation of mental health policies, plans and services;
Develop capacity to conduct research projects in the area of mental health policy and services.

The Masters will start on the 7th September 2009, with a two-week residential session, at the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas campus in Lisbon, Portugal. A second two-week residential session will take place in Lisbon, from 29 March to April 2010. Between the two residential sessions, the students will participate in e-learning teaching activities (lectures, work exercises, essays) under the orientation of supervisors. The second year of the Course will be dedicated to the development of a project and the elaboration of the dissertation, under the orientation of a supervisor.

For those interested please consult the attached PDF.

Somewhere To Turn To, Someone To Talk To

Tilia Bousios — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:35:00 GMT

Headstrong launched its foundation document “Somewhere To Turn To, Someone To Talk To” which describes a new way of thinking about and working with young people to support their mental health. Almost two in three young people in Ireland are ‘unable to cope with the problems they face’ according to a new report launched on 25th March by Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, with the support of QUINN-healthcare. The report yields the following findings: 1. Only 38% of young people report being able to cope with the problems they face; 2. Only 64% report having an adult available to them to talk through their problems regularly; 3. 47% of respondents report having been bullied at some point in their life; 4. 10% have had serious problems and have not sought professional help. The report proposes a solution to the current thinking and way of working with young people which will significantly enhance the mental health and well-being of future generations of Irish teenagers.

Headstrong’s Jigsaw Programme is an innovative approach to weaving together supports and services in local communities to enhance the mental health and well-being of young people. It is designed to promote services that are more accessible, youth-friendly, integrated and engaging for young people. The Jigsaw Model – which is currently active in Co Galway and Ballymun - has been developed on the basis of extensive research and consultation with young people, service providers, families and communities throughout Ireland and internationally. Young people and communities have been directly involved in the planning, design and development of the model, which will differ in each community according to need. The report is supported by QUINN-healthcare which is also sponsoring the development of other new resources by Headstrong. These resources focus on mental health and drug and alcohol issues for young people, parents and those working with young people.

Round Table: "Reducing the Psychosocial Impact of the Financial and Economic Crisis", held in Brussels on 27 April 2009

Tilia Bousios — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:38:00 GMT

The current financial and economic crisis creates risks for the mental health and well-being of people, and these need to be tackled. This was the outcome of a Round Table on "Reducing the Psychosocial Impact of the Financial and Economic Crisis", which the Commission organised in Brussels on Monday.

Participating in the event were research experts, representatives of the EU, Member States, regions, civil society, schools, the workplace and health professionals.

The round table found that the negative impact of the crisis on the health and well-being of people emerges only slowly. Member States will be affected in different ways. This makes it difficult to quantify the psychosocial harm. But some early figures from Latvia indicate for 2008 a 50% increase of first-time diagnoses of certain psychiatric disorders and a rise of suicide by 15%. This is in line with an increase of anxiety disorders and sleeping problems in Sweden during a crisis in the 90's and with observations in schools and workplaces. These effects increase the vulnerability to physical illness and heart disease. They can begin during a financial crisis, but may last long after the crisis has ended.

Marginalised population groups are especially at risk. Therefore the round table highlighted the need for promoting social justice through the crisis. Curbing increasing youth unemployment is also highly important. The crisis would not be a time to reduce resources for mental health care or social support nets. Instead, schools, workplaces and communities should, in the longer term, invest more in preventive action and promoting well-being.

Promoting and strengthening the EU's mental capital is also necessary because of demographic changes, which will force people to be even more flexible and productive. More research should be done to measure the economic cost of stress.

The Round Table event was part of the implementation of the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being launched in 2008 at a high-level conference hosted by Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou in cooperation with Commissioner Vladimír Špidla. Under the Pact, a series of thematic conferences will be organised with Member States during 2009 and 2010. Furthermore, the Commission is funding research on the measurement of mental health problems in Europe to serve as basis for a technical discussion on defining possible indicators under the Open Method of Coordination on Social Protection and Social Inclusion.

The results from the Round Table can either be downloaded directly from the ProMenPol Website or from ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/mental/ev_20090427_en.htm