ECO Responds to the European Commission Consultation on a Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health

16 February 2023

The European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has responded to a recent European Commission consultation on "A comprehensive approach to Mental Health". The consultation aims to out sets action at EU level to promote mental health and prevent, mitigate and respond to mental health challenges. 

With the support of our Survivorship and Quality of Life Network we have had opportunity to consider the proposals and provided the below key areas of feedback for consideration. ECO recommends, and will support: 

  • Improving access to psychological support services 

ECO recommends that access to psychological care across Europe be measured, and access  to psycho-oncology, palliative care and supportive care services be measured as a sub component of this. Such measurement activity could helpfully contribute towards eventual  

political agreement on access targets. Such a measurement initiative might, for example, be  conducted via the commitment in the communication to an EU level study. 

  • Achieving improved workplace environments for psychological health 

In too many sectors of the European economy workers are being routinely placed under intolerable and persistent stress to the point of their psychological health being endangered. Unfortunately, too many reports are received of this often times being also the case within health and cancer care working environments. 

ECO therefore urges the forthcoming communication by the European Commission on a comprehensive approach to mental health give consideration to how Commission support could be provided to support employers in safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of their employees, with some specific consideration given to such needs in the health and cancer sectors. 

  • Committing to future support for those impacted by the War in Ukraine 

ECO strongly recommends the inclusion within the Communication of long-term commitment to helping to meet the mental health needs created by the War in Ukraine,  including for Ukrainian cancer patients and healthcare professionals. 

Our full response is available here.  

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