MHEEN II - Mental Health Economics European Network Phase II
Project dates: July 2005 - July 2007
Implementing organisation(s):
Leader organisation: London School of Economics and Political Science
With the technical support and co-ordination of Mental Health Europe
The project is built upon the work of the existing Mental Health Economics European Network (MHEEN) by deepening the work in the 17 current partner countries, and extending the Network into 14 new countries (the 10 new EU member states, three candidate countries and Liechtenstein). To download the full list of partners involved in the project, please click here.
Background:
The challenge of promoting good mental health has been widely recognised. The challenge is all the greater because no health system in the world has sufficient resources to meet all of a population's health needs. Health promotion - including mental health - must therefore be pursued in recognition of resource scarcity.
Mental health problems contribute heavily to the burden of ill health in Europe. The economic impacts can be considerable, particularly those associated with lost employment, loss of personal income, increase burden on family members, increased utilisation of health and social care services and - in some cases - increased use of services in the education, employment, housing and criminal justice sectors. However, information on related economic issues remains sparse. Little is known about the costs and other economic parameters of mental health systems in Europe.
Aim of the project:
This project has a number of complementary and interlinked objectives:
- To contribute to the promotion and protection of public health in Europe by gathering and analysing information and knowledge in respect of the economics and financing of mental health;
- To build on the work of the existing Network (MHEEN) and produce high quality mental health economics related research to inform the policy process across Europe;
- To add value to the Network through links with other expert groups: IMHPA and ENWHP;
- To assess the cost-effectiveness of mental health promotion and prevention strategies against a range of mental health problems including depression and anxiety disorders;
- To construct and apply a tool for assessing mental health service utilisation and costs at the local level;
- To develop a sustainable network of mental health economics expertise through capacity building and networking, to aid decision making at the European, national and local level.
Specific objectives:
- Published outputs: produce publications - short policy notes, technical and academic reports with information on the economics of mental health in Europe;
- Tools: construct and test tools for a) assessing and economically analysing mental health service utilisation at the local level, b) collecting primary mental health economics data, thus facilitating meaningful cross-national comparisons;
- Sustainable capacity building: host four seminars/workshops on mental health economic issues and exchange knowledge formally and informally within and beyond the Network;
- Electronic outputs: further develop a website as a portal for communication, information resources and databases;
- Information resource: act as an information resource, supporting policy makers, service users and other stakeholders
- Awareness and engagement: increase understanding of the role of mental health economics as a tool to support policy-making, by engaging actively with policy-makers.
Further information:
Please visit the website of Mental Health Europe, or contact Mari Fresu, [email protected]
Supported by the European Commission, DG HEALTH and CONSUMER PROTECTION