Horizon Europe and mental health research

Subject: Horizon Europe and mental health research

Mental health is increasingly recognised as one of the major current and future health challenges. Some 11 % of the EU population are affected by mental ill-health every year. The proportion of national health budgets devoted to mental health ranges from 4 % to 18 % across the EU. Mental ill- health goes hand in hand with substantial stigmas, costs and consequences that impact individuals, families and carers, health and social systems, society and the economy.

Clearly, there is an obvious need to address mental health conditions and promote good mental health in the most effective way across the EU. More research is required to identify the best possible measures to promote mental health and ensure early diagnoses, effective management and person- centred care. The FP7-funded ROAMER project has already identified the main topics for such research.

Can the Commission therefore state whether Horizon Europe will take account of the ROAMER research roadmap and address mental health in all its relevant aspects? How does Horizon Europe envisage facilitating the input from mental health stakeholders in future EU-funded mental health research?

Answer given by Mr Moedas on behalf of the European Commission

(12 March 2019)

The EU support for mental health research, in particular to address the referred gaps (1), as well as support for better coordination of brain research across Europe (2), alignment with national efforts (3) and international collaborations (4), represents investments of EUR 800 million in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) (5) and of over EUR 600 million so far in Horizon 2020 (6).

⋅1∙ Mental Health Research factsheet — https://ec.europa.eu/research/health/pdf/factsheets/mental_health.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none

Brain research support — https://ec.europa.eu/research/health/index.cfm?pg=area&areaname=brain

⋅2∙ https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/218732/factsheet/en

⋅3∙ JPND — http://www.neurodegenerationresearch.eu/

ERA-NET Neuron — https://www.neuron-eranet.eu/

⋅4∙ GACD Mental Health Topic — https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/rcn/701984/en

⋅5∙ Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007-2013)

⋅6∙ The EU Framework Programme for Resarch and Innovation (2014-2020)












| | )Notably, the FP7-funded project ROAMER (7) has provided valuable guidance for EU support in mental health research by identifying gaps and research priorities at EU and Member State levels. Moreover, many of ROAMER’s recommendations are in line with the Horizon 2020 call topics on, for example, promoting mental wellbeing in the young (8), physical and mental co-morbidities (9), and risk-based screening strategies for non-communicable diseases (10).

The Commission will continue to monitor developments and consider input from researchers, stakeholders and policy-makers to design future actions. The Commission proposal for Horizon Europe (11) includes a Health cluster under Pillar 2 (12), which will address relevant health challenges. Opportunities for mental health research will be inherently accessible by the open nature of call topics within the Health cluster. Furthermore, broad stakeholder participation will continue to be encouraged and enhanced in EU- funded research actions.

⋅7∙ http://www.roamer-mh.org/

⋅8∙ SC1-PM-07-2017 — https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/rcn/701987/en

⋅9∙ PHC-03-2015 — https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/rcn/665172/en

SC1-BHC-01-2019 – https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic‐ details/sc1-bhc-01- 2019;freeTextSearchKeyword=Comorbidity;typeCodes=1;statusCodes=31094501,31094502,31094503;programCode=null;programDivisionCode=null;focusAre aCode=null;crossCuttingPriorityCode=null;callCode=Default;sortQuery=openingDate;orderBy=asc;onlyTenders=false


SC1-BHC-30-2019 – https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/sc1-bhc-30-2019. ⋅11∙

https://ec.europa.eu/info/designing-next-research-and-innovation-framework-programme/what-shapes-next-framework-programme_en ⋅12∙

Annexes to the Commission proposal for Horizon Europe, COM(2018)435, 07/06/2018.