Wanneer? 22.02.2023
War in Europe, rising energy costs, climate change, upcoming viruses,... one crisis has not yet ended and another one already seems to surge. In the last years, we have been facing a situation of poly-crises. How can the population at an individual and collective level cope with this new context, knowing that each crisis has an impact on mental health and that the burden is likely to become stronger with each accumulation?
Despite multiple warning signals about the mental health of the population in general and of some groups in particular (such as youngsters and isolated people), the mental health research is still systematically underfunded in Belgium. We are still lacking targeted evidence-based interventions to strengthen mental health in citizens.
To highlight the importance of investing in mental health research and developing long-term integrated prevention policies in Belgium, the Superior Health Council organizes the meeting "Mental health & resilience in times of polycrisis" on Wednesday March 22. A panel of renowned international and Belgian experts in this field will address these issues. Keynote speakers will set the stage with analyses of the economic impact of poor mental health. In the afternoon, the most important burdens that we faced and/or are currently starting to face will be addressed during four thematic sessions: COVID-19, climate change, war/refugees and energy/economic crisis. Finally, we will conclude the day with a roundtable including key actors (policymakers, practitioners, patients).
