7.P. Workshop: Mental health during the Covid19 pandemic & corresponding national health promotion measures

Abstract

BackgroundTo an initially non-expected degree, the wellbeing of the population in European countries has been affected by the containment measures during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The longer the pandemic holds the more visible become also the economic effects, which in turn will affect the populations mental health and wellbeing on the longer term and have the potential to dramatically increase health inequalities. Whether the psychosocial burden of containment measures will be followed by a significant increase of mental illness is hotly debated and yet to be determined. National institutions have the task to promote health during such crises. Therefore, mental health and wellbeing was monitored in most European countries, and in many countries, approaches to support the population and its subgroups under the burden were developed, acknowledging the monitoring data and dynamics within the pandemic and containment activities. In this workshop the data on population wellbeing during the pandemic from Germany, Italy and France will be presented and the different approaches to promote mental health explained and discussed. The input from the three countries will be the basis for a discussion with the audience: What similarities can be identified from the measures and programs presented? What lessons can be learned for their further development? What synergies could arise in the future?ObjectiveThe goal is to present, compare and critically review the mental wellbeing of populations and subgroups in the three countries since the beginning of 2020, to assess its association with the pandemic waves and the according containment measures and discuss the resulting health promotion activities (with a focus on national-level interventions and approaches). Selected interventions to promote mental health and wellbeing will be presented that were developed based on the monitoring data available in the countries. The interventions will be discussed in terms of their relevance to reach subgroups and improve wellbeing in the dynamic situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.Key messages The longer-term effects of the pandemic and its containments measures on mental health and wellbeing of populations is yet to be defined.The psychosocial burden is higher in certain subgroups and demands specific interventions that improve access to preventive (partly preexisting) mental health services.