Putting Mental Health at the Heart of Europe: Strengthening Preparedness for EU Polycrises

At a recent conference ‘Putting Mental Health at the Heart of Europe: Strengthening Preparedness for EU Polycrises’ to explore and discuss how resilient mental health systems can address urgent polycrises like pandemics, wars, and climate disasters. Innovative pilot practices were presented, developed within the Mentality project framework that drive policy reform and bridge public health gaps, particularly for vulnerable populations.

One practice that members working in the education and mental health sector may be interested in, is the "Hopeful, Healthy, and Happy Living and Learning Toolkit / Teachers’ Guide" This toolkit comprises the Guide for Teachers, the Parent-Caregiver Guide, and the Activity Guide for Teachers, Parents, and Children. Within the framework of the Mentality project, the teachers' guide was implemented in Slovakia and Greece as a tool to help teachers assist children in reflecting on their pandemic experiences and developing essential coping skills. It includes exercises and activities focused on 16 key life skills that aid in cognitive, social, and emotional development, with the goal of fostering resilience and enhancing psychosocial well-being.

To download the handbook and find more information go to the website.

Practice owner: Ea Suzanne Akasha, IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support Implementers: League for Mental Health Slovakia; Prolepsis Institute, Greece.