Modular Mental Health Toolbox

ongoing

MentBox targets the existing gap between available mental health best practices and the ability of EU member states to deploy them. The main objective is to identify and tailor the most promising mental health interventions targeting depression, suicide, and non-clinical mental distress and guide EU member states in their implementation by providing a digital book, the Modular Mental Health Toolbox (MH-Toolbox). It will incorporate available evidenced-based interventions developed or applied and evaluated by the consortium in past and ongoing EU-funded projects. These include generic mental health interventions and tailored interventions for target (vulnerable) groups (including migrants and displaced people, Roma, unemployed). All identified interventions will be optimised and localized country wise via a qualitative co-creation process with EU member state Ministries, health professionals, patients, and people from minority (vulnerable) communities. The project also aims to develop interventions addressing the most pressing needs of Roma people and then to tailor and test them through the collaboration with a stable Roma community in Spain. The MH-Toolbox will include detailed step-by-step implementation advice for each tool tailored to the special situations in different EU member states. A consultation with EU member state Ministries will be conducted to identify potential implementation barriers and understand how the MH-Toolbox would fit best with ongoing programmes on mental health. An advisory group of EU member State policy makers will be established to provide further guidance. Patients and those with lived experience will be involved in the development of interventions and implementation advice given to ministries to ensure appropriateness and acceptance. The MH-Toolbox will be hosted post-project by the European Alliance Against Depression who will provide support to EU member states in using the toolbox to tackle acute ill-mental health challenges.