Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport opened the second day of the Mental Health Summit 2025, which was dedicated to the role of culture in promoting mental well-being.
Commissioner Micallef emphasized on the preventive and healing power of culture for mental well-being and explained the ways Creative Europe supports projects that boost well-being through art and culture.
Data from the WHO Europe were provided on “Cultural activities as a Health Behavior, insights for Mental Health”. Input from the CAE Report “Culture for Health” further strengthened the arguments on the positive effects of culture on mental well-being, to the benefit of more than 85 million people in the EU, affected by mental health problems.
Cultural stakeholders also contributed evidence about the benefits of culture to mental health, as experienced from relevant EU supported projects such as Arts for Health Austria, Arts on Prescription and the MiMind project.
The summit aimed at promoting the ongoing debate for a dedicated EU Youth Mental Health Action Plan, making a promise for an upcoming relevant call.
The EU Youth Mental Health Action Plan aims at a collaboration of “voices from policy, health, and culture to shape a shared European response” to the rising mental health challenges, especially affecting young people.
To this purpose, MEPs, clinical experts, academics, urban planners and cultural organisations were brought together at the premises of the European parliament during the two days of the summit, 19-20 May 2025, in the context of the Mental Health Week.
Titled “Prevention and Recovery in Modern Society”, this year’s summit focused on youth, prevention and social reintegration in light of mental health challenges in times of crisis.
“Join us and let us shape together the future of mental health policy in Europe” said MEP Dr András Kulja (EPP, Hungary), member of the Committee on Public Health and host of the event.
“With Culture, with care, and with courage, let’s build a healthier and happier Europe” said MEP Zoltán Tarr (EPP, Hungary), Coordinator of the Committee on Culture and Education and co-host of the event.
Five more MEPs participated in the event: Eleonora Meleti (EPP, Greece), Nikos Papandreou (S&D, Greece), Vytenis Andriukaitis (S&D, Lithuania), Gabriella Gerzsenyi (EPP, Hungary) and Tilly Metz (GREENS, Luxemburg).
Speakers also included Johanna Schima, Vice-president and Head EU delegation - Make Mothers Matter, Michaela Lednova, Head of Social Affairs-Eurocities and Professor Geert Dom - President of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA).
The summit was part of the “CARE: Culture for Mental Health” project by Culture Action Europe, supported by the European Union and the European Cultural Foundation.
Irini Polidorou
Find more on the Summit here
Image credits: 1) and 2) Glenn Micallef on X @Creative Europe, found here and here
