Mental Health Policy and Practice Across Europe (European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies)

We are proud to announce that this book is joint winner of the EHMA Baxter Award 2007.

"Mental Health Policy and Practice Across Europe is a fascinating, complicated volume that looks at one of the key dimensions of contemporary mental health policy development in Europe — the role of the European Union (EU)."
Medicine Weekly

In much of Europe it remains taboo to discuss the challenges that poor mental health raises for governments, societies and particularly for people with mental health problems themselves.

This book maps the current state of policy, service provision and funding for mental health care across Europe, taking into account the differing historical contexts that have shaped both the development and delivery of services. A holistic approach is adopted that aims to assess the influence on mental health of environmental factors such as housing, poverty, employment, social justice and displacement.

Covering a wide range of policy issues, the book:

• Examines the legal rights of people with mental health problems
• Addresses the impact of stigma, social exclusion and discrimination
• Reviews the role of users and their families in the development of mental health services and policy
• Reflects on approaches to reform and on the future development of services
• Evaluates opportunities for the rehabilitation of people with mental health problems
• Discusses the financing and organisation of mental health systems
• Reflects on approaches to reform and the future development of services

Contributors: Francesco Amaddeo, University of Verona, Italy; Peter Anderson, Department of Primary Care, University of Oxford; Robert Anderson, Research Director, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working ; Terry Brugha, University of Leicester; Peter Bower, National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, University of Mancheste; Lorenzo Burti, University of Verona, Italy; Kathryn Berzins, Claire Curran; Paul Cutler, The Hamlet Trust; Natalie Drew, Dept of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Genev; Angelo Fioritti, University of Bologna, Italy; Michelle Funk, Dept of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva; Simon Gilbody, Department of Psychiatry, University of Leeds; Vidar Halsteinli, SINTEF, Oslo, Norway; Robert Hayward, The Hamlet Trust; Rachel Jenkins, WHO Collaborating Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London; Heinz Katschnig, University of Vienna, Austria; Robert Keukens, Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry, Hilversum, The Netherlands; Susan Kirkwood, European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness, Belgium; Martin Knapp, Director, PSSRU and LSE Health and Social Care, London School of Economics and Political Science, London; Viviane Kovess, MGEN, Pari; Eva Jane Llopis, Prevention Research Centre, Academic Centre for Social Sciences and Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Jo Lucas, The Hamlet Trust; Ville Lehtinen, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), Helsinki, Finland; Lorenza Magliano, Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples, Italy; David McDaid, LSE Health and Social Care and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London School of Economics and Political Science; Elias Mossialos, Director, LSE Health and Social Care and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London School of Economics and Political Science; Camilla Parker, Legal and Policy Consultant, Open Society Institute Budapest; Dainius Puras, Department of Social Pediatrics and Child Psychiatry, Vilnius Medical University; Roxana Radulescu, Mental Health Europe, Brussels; Diana Rose, Service Users Research Enterprise, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London; Nikolas Rose, Department of Sociology, London School of Economics and Political Science; Luis Salvador, University of Cadiz, Spain; Benedetto Saraceno, Director, Mental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva; Liz Sayce, Director, Disability Rights Commission; Edward Shorter, University of Toronto; Michele Tansella, University of Verona; Graham Thornicroft, Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London; Toma Tomov, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sofia, Bulgaria; Charles Watters, University of Kent, Canterbury; Richard Wynne, The Work Research Centre, Dublin; Robert Van Voren, General Secretary, Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry, Hilversum, The Netherlands; Ingrid Zechmeister, University of Vienna