The BSR Mental Health project platform outlines a modern healthcare system for the region, helping public authorities integrate non-clinical cultural, artistic, and physical activities to enhance mental and social well-being for people of all ages. BSR Mental Health consolidates outcomes from 13 EU projects.

Good mental health is a cornerstone of societal resilience, yet countries in the BSR report alarmingly high rates of mental ill-health. There is an urgent need for effective mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment strategies to address this growing burden, driven by successive crises. The challenge is expected to persist and the health sector alone cannot meet the demand. Overburdened primary care systems are struggling, creating inefficiencies that worsen the situation. Addressing this issue requires a cross-sectoral approach to improving mental well-being, ensuring that BSR societies can recover from and adapt to crises.

Sectors beyond health play a vital role in promoting mental health. Interreg projects highlight the potential of leveraging settings such as schools, workplaces, and cultural environments to improve outcomes. For instance, cultural interventions provide effective non-medical solutions for individuals with mild to moderate mental health conditions. However, these approaches require political recognition and systematic adoption. Decision-makers need robust information and evidence to implement cross-sectoral mental health initiatives. This project will create a platform to consolidate outcomes of various projects into actionable policy recommendations for national and regional decision-makers. By driving broader adoption of these solutions, the initiative will expand access to effective interventions, improving mental health and resilience across the BSR.

The BSR Mental Health platform, recognized as an Operation of Strategic Importance, strengthens cross-sector cooperation to promote mental health and well-being through non-clinical community-based approaches across the region.

Co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027, the platform aims at promoting the resilience of people in the region by turning knowledge into practical action, building synergies, and driving change where it matters most. Visit the project page.

The project platform is powered by results from the following projects: Arts on Prescription, KidsLikeUs, MentalHealthMatters, SchoolChanger, BalticSe@nioR, BalticSe@nioR 2.0, SAFE, ABCs for Mental Health, Icehearts Europe, Operating grant in the field of EU4Health, Arts on Prescription in Norway, Economy of Well-being of People, Roadmap to improve the health and well-being of the ageing population (AgeFLAG)