MEPs to discuss 'Integrative Mental Health, the way forward'

The MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine and Health (IM&H) is hosting an event, 'Integrative Mental Health, the way forward' on Tuesday 28 March 2023 at 16.00 CET.

This event will bring together leading academic experts and members of the European Parliament and the Commission. Experts working at the intersection of mental health and Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) will share evidence-based solutions and explain the practical benefits of applying TCIM in this important area.

The event will be opened by Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP, Co-chair MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine and Health, supporter of the MEP Alliance for Mental Health and member of the EP Coalition for Mental Health and Well-Being. She will be joined by Manuela Ripa MEP, of the Interest Group IM&H and Véronique Wasbauer, Principle Advisor for non-communicable diseases, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission.  

Expert speakers include: Gustav Dobos, MD PhD, Professor of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Head of the Department for Complementary and Integrative Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany; Anna Paul, PhD (medical sciences/health sciences), head of the Department of Mind Body Medicine in the Clinic for Naturopathy and Integrative Medicine, section of Integrative Oncology and within the project of Integrative Psychosomatics at Evang. Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Germany; Rogier Hoenders, MD PhD, integrative psychiatrist, Head of Research and Clinical Affairs of the Centre for Integrative Psychiatry (CIP) of Lentis in Groningen, the Netherlands; and Jim van Os, MD PhD, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Public Health at Utrecht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and Visiting Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology at King’s College, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly 125 million people in the WHO European region – equivalent to 13% of its population – were living with mental illness. The pandemic has worsened the situation by increasing the rates of common conditions such as depression and anxiety by more than 25%. Mental health problems result from various factors, such as rising economic and social inequities, rapid societal, political, environmental shifts and the Covid-19 pandemic.  They are becoming increasingly serious and costly. TCIM can play an important role in mitigating the effects of these developments on the human psyche. Among the array of available TCIM techniques, popular practices such as mindfulness or yoga training, and methods such as acupuncture, should be accessible to more people. By using these techniques, Europeans can equip themselves with enjoyable and effective tools for preventing ill mental health, improving their daily management of mental illness, and building up mental and physical resilience.

Apply here to attend the event in person in the European Parliament or online. Registration closes on 17 March.