Mental Health Europe, Brussels

A press release from Mental Health Europe (MHE) focuses on the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims (March 24th 2012). The press release expresses the belief by MHE that Europe needs to move away from closed psychiatric institutions. MHE is calling for European leaders to acknowledge that closed institutions cannot protect from exploitation and abuse the 300,000 Europeans still locked up in psychiatric wards. MHE would like European policy-makers to step up the  process of deinstitutionalizing psychiatric wards, and to offer viable alternatives that allow people with mental health problems to get support in the community. A first proposal on regulating post-2013 Structural Funds emerged in October 2011 - regulation that will be responsible for setting the guidelines on how countries can use hundreds of billions of Euros in the next seven years. Therefore, MHE insists that, during the negotiation process between EU institutions, Member States, and civil society, policy-makers ensure that European money is granted to  projects which aim to develop community-based services, rather than being siphoned off into the refurbishment of large residential psychiatric institutions.  For more information, contact MHE Information and Communications Officer, Silvana Enculescu at:
silvana.enculescu@mhe-sme.org.