European Mental Health Week: Shining a Light on Roma Mental Health 

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.   

European Commission releases initiative on mental health: What’s in it for Europe’s Roma?

On 7 June 2023, the European Commission put forward a Communication laying out a comprehensive approach to mental health, aimed at helping Member States and stakeholders take swift action to deal with mental health challenges. The Communication features 20 European flagships and identifies financing opportunities worth EUR 1.23 billion.

ERGO Network’s research report Roma access to healthcare and long-term care (2022) includes a dedicated chapter on Roma mental health. Our findings show that the Roma experience a higher risk of being in poor mental health, however, most of them cannot access much-need care and support due to unavailability of services in communities, high costs of consultations, antigypsyism and stigma, and lack of trust in the healthcare system overall. See below for a summary of our analysis of the EC Communication from this perspective.

  • Read our full response to the Communication here!

We warmly welcome that the Roma are explicitly mentioned in the Communication, with statements closely aligned with our own findings. We also particularly appreciate the social determinants of health perspective, looking at poverty, discrimination, and poor access to quality housing, education, and employment. The text also features clear links with the EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation, which is mentioned twice, as well as with the Council Recommendation on Roma Equality, Participation and Inclusion. We are equally happy to see that the Communication mentions ethnic minorities, underlining that inequalities based on ethnicity have an important impact both on mental health as well as on access to adequate care. Last but not least, discrimination is comprehensively mentioned throughout the document, including explicit references to the discrimination faced by the Roma.

However, antigypsyism as such is not mentioned, nor is there any reference to racism or the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan. While comprehensive efforts and funds are dedicated to combatting the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health, which is very welcome, no similar efforts are foreseen to combat discrimination on other grounds (such as ethnic or racial background), despite it being acknowledged as a determinant of poor mental health. The sections on the prevention of psycho-social risks at work and on reinforcing mental health systems and improving access to treatment and care fail to mention discrimination in the workplace, or when seeking support services. It is a missed opportunity to not have included requirements for anti-bias training for mental health professionals and for Member States to promote the hiring of minority mental health workers and mental health mediators.

An encouraging flagship initiative is aimed at improving data collection through the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), where we hope that data will also be broken down by ethnic background, to have a complete picture of the state of Roma mental health and of their access to and take-up of corresponding support services. Part of the EUR 28 million that the European Commission pledges in order to provide psychological first aid to people fleeing the war in Ukraine and their children must be dedicated to combatting racism and antigypsyism, given overwhelming evidence from the ground that Roma families escaping the war have been severely discriminated in host countries, often being turned away, not believed, denied help, or persecuted because of their ethnicity.

Overall, we broadly welcome the European Commission’s comprehensive approach to mental health, as a very important first step in improving mental health in Europe. However, the Communication falls short of being a strategy with targets and monitored objectives, and many of the initiatives and funds are not new. Disappointingly, the main social and material determinants of mental health – poverty and discrimination – are correctly identified, but not sufficiently addressed. Lastly, stakeholders (including civil society) are only mentioned once in a general sentence, while nothing is said about giving ownership to the affected communities and individuals themselves, as they should be closely associated to the design, implementation, and monitoring of policies affecting their lives and wellbeing.

ERGO Network hopes that the gaps identified above will be remedied through implementation and through subsequent EU policy measures, and we stand ready to support these efforts at both EU and national level.

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For more information about our work on Roma mental health, please contact Amana Ferro (a.ferro@ergonetwork.org), Senior Policy Adviser in the ERGO Network staff

Research report: Roma access to healthcare and long-term care

ERGO Network launches its research report on Roma access to healthcare and long-term care

The European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network held its annual Policy Conference on 23 November, entitled “Implementing the EU Roma Strategic Framework. Roma access to healthcare and long-term care.” A significant health inequality gap exists between the Roma and the majority population, persisting across every area of physical and mental health and wellbeing, including rates of suicide, disability, life expectancy, and infant mortality. The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare and worsened the pre-existing dire situation of Roma health in Europe.

The EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion, and Participation 2020 – 2030 includes as one of its four sectoral objectives “Improve Roma health and increase effective equal access to quality healthcare and social services”, while the Council Recommendation on Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation features a comprehensive section on “Health and access to quality healthcare and social services”, calling on Member States to “ensure equal access without barriers to quality healthcare and social services, especially for those groups that are most at risk or those living in marginalised or remote localities.” Ensuring access to health and long-term care is also extensively covered by the European Pillar of Social Rights, the compass for Europe’s recovery, while it is also supported by Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

During 2022, ERGO Network conducted in-depth national case studies in six countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain), looking at the main determinants of Roma health as well as at the key barriers the Roma face when trying to access healthcare and long-term care services in these countries. The main findings and recommendations were brought together in an EU synthesis report, launched today in the framework of the above-mentioned event.

Key messages:

1. In all 6 countries, social determinants greatly influence a poor Roma state of health.

Tackle unsanitary dwellings and living conditions, exposure to environmental hazards, lack of adequate nutrition, dire poverty and material deprivation, and unhealthy working conditions.

2. High costs of healthcare and long-term care and gaps in health insurance coverage are significant deterrents for the Roma to seek care.

Support access to universal health insurance for all including the Roma and make healthcare and long-term care free or affordable at the point of use, including specialist care.

3. Limited healthcare and long-term care infrastructure and staff shortages are prevalent in rural and remote Roma communities.

Invest in an adequate supply of medical and care facilities, as well as qualified personnel, making healthcare and long-term care available to people where they live.

4. Roma health mediators play a key positive role which deserves better support.

Health mediators must be Roma themselves, anchored in the communities they serve but formally employed by the national health system with adequate pay, ongoing training, and due recognition.

5. The Roma continue to face widespread antigypsyism in healthcare and long-term care.

Combat prejudices and stereotypes within medical services and care facilities, ending segregation and ensuring anti-bias training and compliance with anti-discrimination legislation.

6. Roma communities and their civil society organisations must be involved in a bid to build trust and improve take-up.

Policy-makers, as well as healthcare and long-term care professionals, must cooperate closely with Roma stakeholders and their representatives, to ensure evidence-based solutions.

With this research, we aim to kick-start a debate with policy makers on how to improve the availability, accessibility, affordability, quality, inclusiveness, and take-up of healthcare and long-term care services by Europe’s Roma, including in the framework of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the European Care Strategy, and the announced European initiative on Mental Health in 2023, among others.

For more information about ERGO Network’s work on Roma access to healthcare and long-term care, as well as on the European Care Strategy and related fields, please contact Senior Policy Adviser Amana Ferro.

(Post-)Pandemic Life Together

(Post-)Pandemic Life Together

This spring arrived accompanied by many challenges for our work. Instead of shrinking back, we battened down the hatches and continued supporting people with fewer opportunities.

During March, one of our localities became an epicentre of a special mutation of the corona virus. Many families, Roma and non-Roma, found themselves in the middle of danger of contagion. Together with other local NGOs and volunteers we distributed FFP2 respirators and masks and discussed the situation with adults and children.

Keeping the seriousness of the pandemic situation in mind, we tried hard to preserve the quality and quantity of our services and activities that we offer to local people in need. Instead of cancelling our events and appointments, we equipped our teams with protective aid or searched for alternative ways of helping the community. The arrival of spring allowed us to hold workshops outdoors, other activities took place one-to-one.

Every ten years, a Census is carried out in the Czech Republic to obtain information about the population that is not easily accessible. This May, another nation-wide census took place. As the attendance is obligatory under penalty of a fine, our street workers helped 131 households to fulfill this legal duty.

While maintaining the quality of our street work, counselling and other social services, we are also mindful of human rights aspect of our work. This spring became a milestone for women who suffered – and still suffer – from forced sterilisation. At the beginning of May, after many years of struggle, the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill on compensation for the female victims.

Since Czech schools implemented distance learning, children needed extra support to cope with online lessons. We restored our „outdoor school“ and offered assistance with homework or learning on-spot. For families that were not endowed with digital devices, we arranged computers and laptops as a gift in cooperation with the Česko.digital initiative.

To celebrate the International children’s day, all teams prepared special activities for the children and young people they work with. Almost hundred children from Liscina, a neighbourhood once flooded, gathered for fun outdoor activities and received sweet rewards. Other events related to the International children’s day and the end of the school year will take place all over the localities we work in. Preparations for our traditional summer camp are already under way as well.

News from Pavee Point, Ireland

News from Pavee Point, Ireland

Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre focused our work in recent months on helping to ensure Traveller & Roma uptake of the COVID19 vaccines. We lobbied and advocated for vaccine priority for Travellers and Roma and published a briefing paper, Approach and Recommendations for COVID-19: Vaccination Prioritisation & Roll Out for Travellers and Roma.  Subsequently the Health Department recommended vaccine prioritisation for Travellers & Roma aged 18+ for the COVID-19 vaccination. To coincide with the vaccine roll-out Pavee Point released a series of videos to combat vaccine hesitancy – Travellers Take the Vaccine Campaign.  All videos can be found here.

 

In April we celebrated 50 Years of Activism (1971 – 2021) on International Roma Day .We hosted a webinar to commemorate 50 years of activism since the first World Romani Congress on the 8th of April in London in 1971. To mark the milestone, Pavee Point’s Co Director Martin Collins talked to Roma MEP, Romeo Franz and to Irish Traveller Senator Eileen Flynn about who and what inspired their activism. The video also includes a photographic look back over 50 years, Traveller and Roma music, and we heard from young Roma and Travellers on their hopes for the future. You can watch it here. 

In May 2021, Pavee Point was thrilled to be awarded funding by Rethink Ireland Equality Fund to support work in promoting Traveller education. These funds will enable us to raise issues of education discrimination – made worse by COVID-19 – and the need for a National Traveller Education Strategy. You can see a short video on our planned education programme here.

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Health – ERGO Network

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