Project title
Description of initiative
JA MH-WB, launched in 2013, aims at building a framework for action in mental health policy at the European level and builds on previous work developed under the 2008 European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being. The objective is to contribute to the promotion of mental health and well-being, the prevention of mental disorders and the improvement of care and social inclusion of people with mental disorders in Europe. The initiative also looks at mental heath policies in arts and culture, as reflected in one of its reports, i.e. ”Mental Health in All Policies. Situation analysis and recommendations for action” (sub-chapter ”Cultural activities, the arts and mental health”). The report of the final conference of the Joint Action states that : ”Access to, and participating in, cultural and social activities, as well as outdoor recreation and green spaces promote mental health and wellbeing. Personal safety, the safeguarding of human rights, and community involvement are all conducive to mental health and wellbeing. Interventions to prevent mental disorders include interventions to address inequalities, prevention of childhood adversities and abuse, stopping bullying at school and reduction of stress in the workplace.”
The initiative is coordinated by Nova Medical School (Portugal) and has 51 partners (30 associated and 21 collaborating) representing 28 EU Member States and 11 European organizations.
Further information on the initiative
Themes: Culture and...
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Target group
Cultural field
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Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
The Joint Action resulted in the European Framework for Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing, which supports EU countries to review their policies and share experiences in improving policy efficiency and effectiveness in the field of mental health. In addition, the EU-Compass for Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing assisted with the implementation of the framework by communicating the Joint Action's priorities (between 2015-2018). This web-based mechanism facilitated the collection, exchange, and analysis of information on policy and stakeholder activities in mental health (culture best practices are also included among the resources).
With regards to arts the culture, the lessons and recommendations are captured in the report ”Mental Health in All Policies. Situation analysis and recommendations for action”, as described below:
”As there still are many misconceptions about mental health and the term is often perceived as meaning mental disorders, cultural activities and the arts can play an important role in creating new shared meanings for mental health. In this way they help bringing public health promotion messages closer to people in their own language, thus increasing mental health literacy. One of the challenges is that attending cultural activities or engaging in the arts is often perceived as meaning “high culture” or fine arts. However, from the mental wellbeing promoting aspect the key is to involve people in doing something together and deepen the sense of belonging, thus creating stronger community bonds and strengthening social capital of the community members. Therefore it is important that the perception of cultural activities is broadened to include smaller-scale local activities that are often developed and implemented by volunteers.”