Mental Health Promotion Policies

 
“MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION POLICIES IN EUROPEAN UNION” Ozamiz, J.A. Journal of Mental Health, April 2011; 20(2): 174–184

ABSTRACT

There is not evidence that Mental Health Promotion (MHP) Policies are planned properly in the European Union. In order to study the situation we have visited a sample of 10 European regions Public Health stake-holders, selected with a worked and checked criteria. Before the visit, they were asked to fulfil a questionnaire about structural indicators of environmental factors having an impact in Mental Health; they were also provided with material about MHP concepts and strategies. During the visits we have used an open questionnaire about MHP policies, constructed following the guidelines by G. Walt (1996).We have observed that there are not conditions nor plans and procedures to ensure that MHP policies could be developed properly in the next years in Europe. Only 3 of the 10 European Regions visited are just now starting to build such policies. As a result of the interviews made, we propose a questionnaire of 9 items about the framework and process of MHP Policies that can help to reflect about the matter as a complementary tool for the questions about structural indicators.

Key words: Comparative Policy, Mental Health Promotion, Leadership, Interest Groups.

(This project has been supported by the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers of the EU, Contract number 2006131)

Photo: Meeting of MHPP Project in STAKES Institute. Helsinki