Ministry of the Interior and
Health of Denmark
Date: 15-02-2023
The Ministry of the Interior and Health's response to the EU
Commission's Call for Evidence regarding the initiative for a
comprehensive approach to mental health
The Danish Government welcomes the opportunity to comment on the European
Commission’s initiative for a comprehensive approach to mental health and gives thanks
to the Commission for putting this important topic on the agenda.
The European Commission’s initial objectives listed in the call for evidence align in overall
terms with the Government of Denmark’s priorities in the area of mental health. The
Danish Government recognises the European Commission’s outline of challenging factors
such as war on the European continent as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and agrees that
these serious events have further underlined the importance of mental health.
Furthermore, the Danish Government sees positively that the initiative presented by the
European Commission seeks to promote a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach
to mental health as a public health issue and to mainstream mental health into EU
policies.
Mental health in Denmark is declining, and it is particularly worrying that an increasing
number of children and young people experience poor mental health. This can potentially
have serious consequences for e.g. their development, education and further life course.
Among children and young people, approximately 15% will be diagnosed with a mental
disorder before they turn 18. In addition, mental disorders are very common, and it is
estimated that approximately 40-50% of the population will have a mental disorder in
their lifetime.
It is a priority for the Danish Government that the combined efforts across sectors in the
area must be lifted, both in relation to mental health in general and the efforts for people
with mental disorders. The newly elected Danish Government has therefore chosen to
prioritize an additional 3 billion DKK (approximately 400 million EUR) for efforts in the
area. The further prioritization of funds is to be seen in the context of the broad political
agreement on a 10-year plan for psychiatry and mental health, which was reached in
September 2022. The agreement includes 19 ambitious objectives that cover a wide range
of topics, including mental health, prevention, early efforts, and social psychiatry.
Priority action areas that must be addressed first are as follows:
1. Creating an easily accessible program in the municipalities for children and young
people in mental distress and with symptoms of mental illness
2. Increased efforts for those with serious mental illnesses and a here-and-now
capacity package for regional hospital psychiatry
3. Information and de-stigmatisation efforts
4. Strengthened interdisciplinary and evidence-based environments