Abstract
Mental health conditions (MHCs) impose substantial social and economic costs, undermine productivity, increase service demand, and widen existing inequalities. Mental health is therefore increasingly recognised as a public health priority that demands a cross-sectoral, targeted, and coordinated policy response extending beyond the health sector. Within public mental health (PMH), it is well known that addressing the social determinants of mental health is essential for effective mental health promotion and the prevention of mental ill health. However, due to complexities in implementation, siloed budgets, and a lack of shared responsibility, this can be difficult to achieve in practice. Nevertheless, efforts are being made to overcome these challenges by implementing the Mental Health in All Policies (MHiAP) approach. MHiAP addresses the social determinants of mental health by developing and implementing policies across sectors that reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors. It emphasises the promotion of mental wellbeing and the prevention of mental health problems through coordinated action across sectors and throughout the policy cycle, from evidence generation and policy translation to cross-sector collaboration and sustained stakeholder engagement. Examples include building emotional skills in schools, creating safe and stable housing, supporting mental health at work, providing timely support during pregnancy and parenting, and suicide prevention programmes.The roundtable with experts explores how coordinated, cross-sectoral policy efforts can be operationalised. The session will showcase examples from across Europe on the application of Mental Health in All Policies (MHiAP). These include the Dutch Mental Health Policy Test, a practical tool for assessing the mental health impact of policies, and Sweden’s 10-year National Strategy for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, which takes a whole-of-government approach. The discussion will also draw on lessons from the Joint Action Mental Health Together (JA MENTOR), including pilot actions in Slovenia and Estonia. Examples include the “MHiAP 101” workshop, designed to build Mental Health Impact Assessment capacity at the ministerial level, as well as reflections on the conditions needed to integrate MHiAP into everyday policy design practices. Through an interactive discussion, participants will identify concrete actions and opportunities for implementation across sectors and diverse administrative contexts. Participants will gain practical insights, exchange actionable ideas, and strengthen skills for policy engagement and cross-sector collaboration.
Key messages
• Mental Health in All Policies is a practical approach to working in a coordinated cross-sectoral way to address social determinants upstream that shape mental health outcomes.
• Including mental health across the policy cycle, supported by tools, cross-government collaboration, and clear mandates, delivers sustainable and shared benefits, and good mental health outcomes.
Speakers/Panellists
Nynke De Nie
Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
Emilia Lindquist
Unit for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Public Health Agency Sweden, Östersund, Sweden
Matej Vinko
National Institute of Public Health Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Nina Bos
Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands