Paris, 16 June 2025
Representatives of 31 countries are calling for mental health to be a key component of all national policy decisions, regardless of government sector, if the WHO European Region is to truly address growing mental health challenges and promote health and well-being.
The situation is critical:
- 1 in 6 people in the Region is living with a mental health condition.
- 1 in 3 people with a mental health condition does not receive the treatment they need.
- 1 in 4 people with psychosis receives no formal treatment or care at all.
- Over 150 000 people die by suicide each year – this is nearly 400 suicides every day.
- Suicide is the leading cause of death among young people aged 15–29.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% globally.
- The Region faces a critical shortage of health workers, especially mental health professionals.
- More than 1 in 10 (11%) adolescents show signs of problematic social media behaviour.
- A quarter of 15-year-old girls report being lonely most or all of the time.
- 1 in 4 older people aged over 60 reports being lonely.
At the same time, 90% of 29 countries in a WHO survey said they were working on new or updated mental health policies with input from key groups, including sectors such as education, social services, finance and employment. One of the main things that will help these policies work is having systems in place for different sectors to collaborate.
In response to the findings of the survey and a series of national discussions on mental health policies with 23 countries, a landmark conference is being hosted in Paris, France, by WHO/Europe and the French Ministry of Health.
It brings together ministers and high-level representatives of health, education, social affairs and disabilities, housing and urban affairs, justice, family and youth, culture, and innovation. All are calling for breaking down the siloed and disjointed approach to mental health. They are joined in their call by people living with mental health conditions, health professionals, academics and civil society groups.
The Paris Statement lays out the key priorities and shared policy directions that have been agreed upon, including the following:
- Align accountability and funding across sectors and government levels.
- Actively involve mental health service users from the outset in policy design, implementation and evaluation.
- Promote social and intergenerational connections through public spaces and services that reduce discrimination against people with mental health conditions.
- Engage schools, prisons, workplaces, media, youth, urban planning and health/social care settings to develop and implement prevention initiatives.
- Promote safe use of online mental-health resources as well as digital literacy to help keep people, especially youth, safe online.
“Mental health shapes every heartbeat of our daily lives – in the classroom and the workplace, at the kitchen table and in the corridors of power,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“When we weave mental well-being into every decision, in every sector, we do more than ease suffering; we kindle dignity, hope and opportunity for all. Our latest data show anxiety tightening its grip on young people, while too many older adults endure the quiet ache of loneliness,” he added.
“A strong, fair and healthy Region will not be built by health ministries alone. It will be built by all of us, standing shoulder to shoulder, across disciplines and borders, with open hearts and united purpose. Let us act now – together – to make mental well-being the cornerstone of our shared future.”
France has declared mental health its “Grande cause” for 2025, affirming it as a national priority and calling for a collective response across all sectors.
Dr Yannick Neuder, Minister of Health and Access to Care, shared, “France is proud to host this landmark summit and to lead by example in making mental health a national cause. We believe that no lasting progress can be achieved without breaking silos between sectors. Mental health must be a shared responsibility – embedded in our schools, our workplaces, our communities and every level of government. With this summit, we are sending a clear message: mental health belongs at the heart of all public policies.”