Roma Mental Health Matters! Reflections from European Mental Health Week 2026
European Mental Health Week (EMHW) 2026, coordinated by Mental Health Europe, took place from 4–8 May under the theme “Stronger Together: Prioritise Mental Health in a Changing Europe.” The week aimed to highlight how mental health is shaped not only by individual circumstances, but also by wider social realities such as inequality, digitalisation, insecurity, and exclusion.
For ERGO Network, EMHW 2026 once again offered an important opportunity to raise awareness about Roma mental health and wellbeing, including higher rates of suicide and suffering from stress, depression, or anxiety, given an ongoing state of poverty, deprivation, and marginalisation. Meanwhile, social determinants (including poverty, poor housing, unemployment, etc.), limited availability of services, high costs, and antigypsyism in healthcare and other settings continue to act as powerful barriers for Roma to access the mental health support they need.
We believe that mental health must be approached through a rights-based and intersectional lens. This means recognising the impact of racism and social exclusion on wellbeing, while also promoting dignity, community resilience, creativity, solidarity, and participation. To kick-start EMHW, we featured a powerful video contribution from Mila Paspalanova, an Anti-Racial Discrimination Advisor with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Regional Office for Europe. The video reflects on the emotional burden that racism and inequality place on individuals and communities, while also emphasising the importance of safe spaces, solidarity, and open conversations around mental wellbeing.
ERGO Network also took part in an important event entitled “A Path Towards a European Mental Health Strategy for All”, held at the European Parliament and co-organised by Mental Health Europe and the European Parliament Intergroup on Mental Health. Amana Ferro, our Senior Policy Adviser, joined a panel alongside Members of the European Parliament to speak about something that is too often overlooked: how inequality shapes mental health. She contributed perspectives on Roma and antigypsyism to broader conversations on the need for mental health policies and services to better reflect the realities of marginalised communities, including Roma. Amana stressed that combating poverty, discrimination, and social isolation was a key part of promoting good mental health and breaking intergenerational trauma.
We also had the pleasure of attending the EMHW Comedy Night, organised by Mental Health Europe, which used humour and stand-up comedy to open conversations about mental health in a creative and accessible way. The event was a reminder that joy, laughter, storytelling, and collective experiences are also important dimensions of well-being and social connection.
We used the perfect framing provided by the EMHW to showcase an inspiring initiative, the “When Scars become Art” project, implemented by our member organisations Amaro Drom (Germany), Nevo Parudimos (Romania), RROMA (Macedonia) and others. The project explores healing, self-expression, and resilience through artistic creation, while creating space for participants to reflect on difficult experiences and emotional wounds through art, helping to break stigma and encourage dialogue around mental health and trauma. The outputs include an EU research report and policy recommendations, as well as a mobile app, and the final project conference will take place on 22 May in Berlin.
This year’s activities build on the reflections shared during last year’s European Mental Health Week, including the moving video testimony by our Board member Mustafa Jakupov, who spoke openly about the impact of antigypsyism, exclusion, and daily struggles on Roma mental health, while also emphasising the importance of speaking up, seeking support, and building stronger communities of care and solidarity. His key message remains as relevant as ever: “Roma communities deserve better – mental health must be a right, not a privilege”.
ERGO Network has consistently advocated for stronger attention to Roma mental health within European and national policy frameworks over the years. Our report on Roma access to healthcare and long-term care (2022) highlights the multiple barriers Roma face in accessing mental health support, including poverty, discrimination, geographical isolation, lack of trust in institutions, stigma, and inadequate or culturally insensitive services.
Similarly, in our response to the European Commission’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health, we stressed that mental health policies must explicitly include Roma and other racialised and marginalised communities and must address the structural determinants of poor mental health, including poverty, exclusion, and racism. Our response called for accessible and affordable services, stronger anti-discrimination measures, community outreach, and the meaningful involvement of Roma civil society and people with lived experience in policy design and implementation.
As European Mental Health Week 2026 concludes, we reaffirm that mental health is a social justice issue. A Europe committed to equality, dignity, and prosperity must also ensure that everyone, including its Roma communities, has access not only to quality mental health support but also to the social conditions necessary for wellbeing, security, and hope.
For more information about ERGO Network’s work on mental health, please contact Senior Policy Adviser Amana Ferro – a.ferro@ergonetwork.org.
