| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | Vol.12, No.10, 16.3.06 |
| Publication Date | 16/03/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 16/03/06 The EU presidency will breach taboos this week by asking Europeans to think more about the mental health of depressed women. A two-day conference starting this Thursday (16 March), on the "stigmatisation and discrimination of persons with a mental illness", is the latest in a series of Austrian EU presidency events aimed at highlighting women's health concerns. Austria claims depression is more of a problem for women than men. A statement from the presidency says rates of depression are "two to three times higher" for women than men and that one in five women will suffer from clinical depression at some time in her life. A presidency official said female mental health problems included postnatal depression and the higher level of "psychic stresses" associated with motherhood than fatherhood. The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) claims that a quarter of all Europeans suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lives. Anne Hoel from EPHA said the total cost of mental health problems, from hospitalisation and medication to working hours lost through illness, was 4% of EU gross domestic product. An online consultation on the Green Paper will run until the end of May. The Commission has said a proposal for an EU mental health strategy could follow at the end of the year. Article previews a two-day conference on 'stigmatisation and discrimination of persons with a mental illness', organised by the Austrian EU presidency and takes a brief look at the European Commission's activities in the field. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Health |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
