Below is a summary made by RSMH MG based on the actual published material. The source material is available for download elsewhere on this page.
The Public Health Agency and the National Board of Health and Welfare, together with 24 other authorities, have been tasked with preparing the basis and a proposal for:
- • A new national strategy for mental health and suicide prevention with goals and priorities for the area, as well as indicators for follow-up.
- • A monitoring system.
- • How the authorities can support the implementation and monitoring of the strategy.
Based on the principles of the government assignment, the authorities propose a ten-year strategy for the area that integrates work to promote mental well-being, prevent mental ill-health and suicide, and improve the living conditions of individuals living with various psychiatric conditions. To enable this, a broad and cross-sectoral approach is proposed that addresses both individual and structural factors related to mental health.
The authorities have proposed a new strategy with the vision of creating a society that promotes good and equitable mental health for all, where no one needs to feel that suicide is the only way out. To achieve this vision, they have established four overarching goals to be met over a ten-year period:
- Improved mental health throughout the population.
- Reduce the number of suicides.
- Reduce inequality in mental ill-health.
- Reduce the negative consequences of psychiatric conditions.
To reach these overarching goals, the authorities have defined seven sub-goals with prioritized areas of action:v
- Promote mental well-being and increase public knowledge about mental health.
- Invest in children and young people by ensuring a safe upbringing and a health-promoting school environment.
- Create an inclusive and sustainable working life that promotes mental health.
- Reduce stigmatization and discrimination of individuals with mental ill-health.
- Improve healthcare and care to meet individual needs.
- Strengthen suicide prevention efforts by reducing risk factors and increasing support for those at risk.
- Advance knowledge in the field of mental health and suicide prevention through research and collaboration.
To monitor progress and ensure that the strategy is implemented as planned, they have proposed the use of indicators and monitoring systems. This will include efforts based on dialogue and consultation with various stakeholders.
To implement the strategy, coordination and collaboration will be necessary, involving authorities and other stakeholders, including regions, municipalities, and civil society organizations. A joint action plan with concrete measures will be developed, and a director-general council and a national coordination function will be established to ensure the effective and sustainable implementation of the strategy.
This strategy proposal aims to build a cross-sectoral and long-term sustainable structure to improve mental health and prevent suicide in the entire population.
The strategy is proposed to serve as a common platform with shared goals and a clear direction to help stakeholders prioritize and plan their efforts. This is intended to create a more systematic, coordinated, and effective strategy for promoting mental health and preventing mental ill-health and suicide, thereby increasing cooperation and collaboration in the field