Greece ranks first for stress and other mental health conditions

Subject: Greece ranks first for stress and other mental health conditions

Eurostat and Gallup's Global Emotions Report rank Greece as the country with the highest level of stress worldwide.

Analysis carried out by psychologists shows that the causes of this were low income, the economic crisis that spanned the 2010 and the overall experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. The way in which journalism is conducted, the plethora of annual environmental disasters, constant provocation from Türkiye, irregular immigration and the consequent uncertainty all contribute to the persistence of the problem. According to medical research, chronic anxiety damages human DNA, negatively affecting fertility. In addition, it harms human relationships, is detrimental to academic and professional performance and makes it difficult for a person to function in general. The higher levels of stress are undoubtedly contributing to the exodus of young Greeks from the country.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, the mental health problems faced by 22.8% of Greece's population rank as follows:

15% anxiety disorders;

7% dependence on alcohol and other substances;

6% severe depression (Greece ranks first in Europe for this);

3% children’s mental health conditions;

1-2% bipolar disorder;

1% schizophrenia and psychosis;

1% obsessive-compulsive disorder;

1% dementia;

5-10% other mental health conditions.

Obviously, optimum mental health is necessary to deal with problems.

In view of this, can the Commission answer the following:

1. Are there any Europe-wide best practices for removing the stigma associated with seeking mental healthcare?

2. Is there scope for cooperation with the Greek Orthodox Church and the world of the arts to generate greater awareness?

3. Are there any mental health support programmes for the private and public sector in Greece?

Submitted:4.12.2023

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission (23 February 2024)

According to Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (1), the responsibility for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care rests with the Member States.

The Commission supports Member States through the identification and transfer of best practices, including on stigma. These are publicly available on the EU Best Practice Portal (2).

1 ∙ ⸱ http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=en

2 ∙ ⸱ https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/




| | )At the same time, the Commission is supporting a Member States-led drafting group to develop EU guidance on stigma and discrimination (3) in the context of the communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health (4).

The communication promotes that Member States take an approach to mental health that is holistic and prevention-oriented, and that includes multiple stakeholders.

This harnesses the potential of collaboration with areas such as arts and culture, as a commitment of stakeholders is needed to help build mental health resilience.

Under the EU4Health programme (5), funds are available for Member States and stakeholders to implement projects that support better mental health for citizens.

Over the last four years almost EUR 50 million has gone into supporting the public health aspects of mental health. Support for mental health under the 2024 Work Programme (6) amounted to EUR 10 million.

As part of the Health at a Glance report (7), the Commission launched 27 Country Health Profiles in December 2023, which include key sections on mental health. This will help to better guide our resources and investments in each Member State.

3 ∙ ⸱ https://health.ec.europa.eu/events/drafting-group-stigma-and-discrimination-mental-health-under-public-health-expert-group-2023-11-29_en

4 ∙ ⸱ https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-06/com_2023_298_1_act_en.pdf

5 ∙ ⸱ https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en

6 ∙ ⸱ https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/2024-eu4health-work-programme_en

7 ∙ ⸱ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_6631