Tackling Europe's Mental Health Crisis

Depression is one of the most prevalent disorders around the world, not only impacting individuals, their quality of life and often socioeconomic status, but also society as a whole. A recent (2021) study of 27 European countries published in The Lancet Public Health evaluated the prevalence of depression to be at 6.4% of the European population. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) cites depression and anxiety as the causes of up to 50% of chronic sick leave and a significant drain on productivity, estimating the overall cost of mood disorders and anxiety in the EU to be about €170 billion per year.

 
With further exacerbation over the course of the pandemic not yet quantified, the need to holistically raise awareness, reduce stigma, improve health-care service access and support, and optimise the patient pathway is paramount. How can policy makers and health-care providers address the root causes of depression, prioritise innovation for change, and share learning to accelerate progress?

 
Join Economist Impact for “Tackling Europe’s mental health crisis”, a virtual event sponsored by Janssen, to hear how other countries are tackling depression and what priority actions could improve depression care pathways across Europe.

Key questions to be addressed include:

• Where should policy makers focus their attention for the biggest positive impact on tackling depression across Europe?
• How are countries successfully identifying inequalities in care and outcomes, and then promoting awareness and access to support?
• How can digital solutions be better leveraged for patient access and self-management?
• What should be advocated as the ideal standard of patient care for the future depression care pathway?