4858 Mental Health Report - National University of Ireland, Galway

Background and Rationale
mental health is a central part of a process that comprises predisposing, actual
precipitating and supporting factors as well as various consequences and
outcomes. A mental health indicator therefore is a measure of the state of
mental health and indicates a priority or a problem. These may be items in health
surveys or statistical data gathered (European Health Monitoring Programme
2001). Monitoring mental health can be defined as systematic, repeated measures
of matters related to the mental health of the population. In addition to
collecting data, monitoring health implies following up the measures with the
purpose to interpret the evolution of mental health situations according to
established policies and strategies and to take relevant actions if necessary
(European Health Monitoring Programme 2001).
Mental health indicators and a monitoring system are necessary to determine
trends and to detect mental health changes resulting from external events, and
also to assess the effectiveness of mental health prevention and treatment
programmes, thus strengthening arguments for the provision of more resources.
There is a need for this kind of evaluation at all levels -local, regional, national
and European level (STAKES 1999).
An important task is to collect and analyse epidemiological information to
identify the broad psychosocial determinants of mental health problems, as well
as to provide qualitative information on the extent and type of problems in the
community. The traditional approaches of epidemiology measure health
outcomes in terms of pathology. Although psychiatric epidemiology has
traditionally also looked at protective factors, there is a need for an epidemiology
of health, which estimates health potentials in addition to risk factors. Mental
health promotion is a natural domain for the development of indicators for this
new epidemiology, since many of the components of health potential are directly
or closely associated with mental health. Thus the development of valid and
reliable mental health indictors has a clear research implication (STAKES 1999).
The report by STAKES (1999) stated that there exists an evident need to develop a
system of population level indicators for mental health, including positive mental
health. An effective monitoring system was identified as one needing indicators
which are sensitive to change and culture, includes citizens’ and users’
participation, and has relevance for policy and planning. This would include the
collection of information on existing mental health indicators and their
definitions, as well as the mental health information systems developed in the
different EU Member States or by international organisations including WHO and
OECD, and analysis of their quality, coverage and validity. This report
recommended the:
• Creation of a system of mental health indicators to be used by the Member
States and the Commission in which information concerning both adults and
children/youth is included.
• Testing the feasibility and usefulness of the indicators and the monitoring
system in pilot projects.
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