Improving access to mental health care and mental health literacy (MENTALLY)

MENTALLY is a project funded by the 3^rd Health Programme of the European Commission, PP-2-2-2016 and implemented in 6 countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Greece and Cyprus. The Mentally project aims at gathering the necessary empirical evidence related to health professionals’ perspectives, clients’ perspectives and the public mental health debate, to develop a multi-applicable framework across European countries and stakeholders in order to achieve the adequate access to mental health care in terms of diagnose and treatment in women and men. In addition, the project aims at making tools and practices accessible that could increase efficiency and effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment. Τhis research aims at studying professionals’ accounts related to the skill level that is required for mental health care professionals working in primary and specialized care to obtain good accessibility, referral, collaboration and treatment in their daily practice. The project will analyse the opinion and experience of mental health professionals, ex-clients, and the public regarding stigma and discrimination around mental health issues. To achieve this, a corpora database will be set up with “real world” text from policy documents, websites, newspapers, documentaries related to mental health care. A rhetoric analysis will be used to analyse the material. Based on these accounts, a multi applicable framework to achieve adequate access to mental health care in terms of diagnosis and treatment will be developed. A pilot implementation will be set up with a selected number of users who will integrate the best practice or tool in their mental health service. In addition, an inventory of practices of knowledge exchanges will be set up to inform and actively involve clients, their support networks and the general public on the organization of European mental healthcare. The aim is to provide an evidence based improvement of available practices and tools that leverage change.