The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) welcomed the European Commission's public consultation on a comprehensive approach to mental health.
In its feedback to the European Commission, the MSA emphasized the following:
-The need to utilise social-scientific tools to explore, analyse and acknowledge various dimensions of mental health;
- The need to ensure that policies cater for diverging needs and realities, whilst being inclusive, flexible, equitable and non-discriminatory;
- The need to factor in social determinants such as class background, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, which may influence the opportunities and outcomes of persons with mental health challenges as well as and carers and significant others;
- The need to invest in social capital so as to ensure that persons experiencing a lack of social networks are not socially excluded;
- The need for a comprehensive EU policy that fosters the provision of public state of the art care, services and products EU-wide;
- The need to involve lifelong learning, at all stages of one's lived experience of mental health challenges, so as to help fulfil and express peoples potential;
- The need to employ social impact assessments to inform evidence-based policy making. Recommended applicable standards for SIA include those of the International Association for Impact Assessment; and
- The need to ensure that workers in the field of Mental Health have decent job conditions.