RegioStars Awards 2019

Each year almost 165 million people in the EU (38%) experience a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. The increase of mental illnesses is a growing economic and social load for society, accounting for 20% of the disease burden. E-mental health plays an important role in tackling this societal challenge. However, integrating this ‘disruptive’ technology into mental health care systems is challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach and cross-border cooperation.
The implementing organisation, Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, was established towards the end of 2007, with Foundation Centrum ’45 launching the initiative. Feeling a social responsibility to ensure enhanced cooperation on the theme of psychotrauma (care), Centrum '45 took the lead in this.
Over the years, the group has expanded and is now best defined as a group of organizations engaged on the impact of overwhelming events and the specialism of psychotrauma.
The eMEN project will set up an EU platform together with governments, service providers, mental health professionals, researchers, end users, policy makers and developers, develop and test five new e-mental health care products, develop policy instruments and organize thematic seminars and conferences.
After the completion of the project in 2019, they aim to have increased the average use of e-mental health products in Northwest Europe from 7% to 15% in total.