European Mental Health Week: Shining a Light on Roma Mental Health
At the initiative of our partners at Mental Health Europe, Europe observes Mental Health Week 2025 from 19 to 25 May, taking place this year under the theme “Care for mental health, invest in social rights”. This perspective is particularly pertinent for Europe’s Roma, who face significant systemic barriers that hinder their access to mental health care and support, including antigypsyism.
The Roma are disproportionately affected by poor mental health outcomes, including higher rates of suicide and suffering from stress, depression, or anxiety, given an ongoing state of poverty, deprivation, and marginalisation. Factors such as poverty, unemployment, inadequate housing, as well as ongoing discrimination, take a significant toll on Roma mental health, which also has a negative impact on children.
In Slovakia, research from 2020 indicates that many excluded Roma households experienced long-term stress due to debt (37.6%), serious illness (24.8%), cold houses (23.9%), hunger (13.5%), discrimination (12.9%), and forced evictions (10.1%), which severely impacted mental as well as physical health. 17.6% of Roma women and 10% of Roma men suffer from depression, compared to 7.7% of non-Roma women and 5% of non-Roma men.
Despite this, many cannot access necessary care due to factors such as:
- Social Determinants: Poverty, inadequate housing, and unemployment exacerbate mental health issues while they create additional barriers to accessing support.
- Limited Availability of Services: Healthcare facilities are often scarce in rural and remote Roma communities.
- High Costs: The expense of consultations and treatments acts as a significant deterrent.
- Antigypsyism and Stigma: Discrimination within healthcare settings leads to a lack of trust in the system.
These barriers are part and parcel of a general context of historical neglect in what concerns Roma health needs – to find out more, read ERGO Network’s research report on Roma access to healthcare and long-term care (2022).
The European Commission’s 2023 Communication on mental health acknowledges the heightened risks Roma face due to socio-economic exclusion and discrimination. While this recognition is a step forward, the Communication falls short in putting forward the necessary measures to effectively tackle the situation.
Such measures could include, among others:
- Anti-Bias Training for Mental Health Professionals: To combat discrimination within healthcare settings.
- Promotion of Roma Health Mediators: These community-based workers play a crucial role in bridging gaps between Roma individuals and healthcare services.
- Ethnically Disaggregated Data Collection: To better understand and address the mental health needs of Roma populations.
ERGO Network calls for these elements to be incorporated into EU mental health strategies, to ensure that Roma voices are heard and their needs addressed, as detailed in our full analysis of the Communication.
On the occasion of the European Mental Health Week, ERGO Network wants to shine a light on the barriers and potential solutions highlighted above, to create an equitable mental health framework for Roma communities across Europe.
Key elements of such a framework would need to include universal health insurance coverage, to ensure that all Roma individuals have access to affordable care; developing services within Roma communities, to reduce barriers to access; implementing policies to eliminate bias, antigypsyism, and segregation in healthcare settings, to restore trust; and involving the Roma in the design, implementation, and monitoring of mental health policies.
By addressing these areas, Europe can move towards a mental health system that truly serves all its citizens, including the Roma.
As we reflect on the theme of European Mental Health Week 2025, it is imperative to recognise that mental health is deeply intertwined with social rights. For the Roma community, achieving mental well-being requires systemic change that addresses the root causes of inequality and exclusion. Only through inclusive policies and practices can we ensure that mental health care is accessible and effective for all.
In the words of Mustafa Jakupov of the ERGO Network Board, “Mental health is a social justice issue. Roma communities deserve better – mental health must be a right, not a privilege”.
=> Watch his full video message here.
ERGO Network remains committed to advocating for the rights of Roma and will continue to work towards a Europe where good mental health is a shared priority for all, not a privilege for the few.
For more information about ERGO Network’s work on Roma access to quality, inclusive, and affordable healthcare and long-term care, including mental health care and support, contact Senior Policy Adviser Amana Ferro at a.ferro@ergonetwork.org.