Mental Health Summit Calls for Dedicated EU Youth Mental Health Action Plan

Brussels, May 2025 – The recent Mental Health Summit, held during European Mental Health Week 2025, culminated in a powerful and unified call to EU institutions for the creation of a dedicated EU Youth Mental Health Action Plan. This landmark outcome reflects a growing urgency to address the rising mental health challenges faced by young people across Europe.

Organized by Members of the European Parliament András Kulja and Zoltán Tarr, the high-level summit gathered over 98 experts spanning mental health, cultural sectors, and civil society organizations. The event highlighted the critical need for an integrated and collaborative European strategy that brings together policy makers, healthcare professionals, and cultural practitioners.

The proposed Action Plan aims to ensure that every young person in Europe can access the mental health support they need, feel acknowledged, and thrive in a nurturing environment. By uniting voices from diverse sectors, the initiative seeks to create a shared vision and concrete actions to improve youth well-being across the continent.

One of the panelists of the summit was Stine Keiding, Lead Partner of the Interreg BSR project Arts on Prescription on the Baltic Sea Region. Since 2022, the project has been instrumental in fostering cross-border cooperation and innovative approaches in mental health. The project’s emphasis on cultural engagement and community-driven solutions added a valuable dimension to the summit’s discussions and reinforced the importance of multi-sector collaboration and the role of culture and the arts in mental health.

Stine Keiding, Odense Kommune, Lead Partner of the Interreg BSR projec Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region

Stakeholders from across Europe are invited to endorse the call for the EU Youth Mental Health Action Plan, demonstrating collective commitment to this vital cause.

For those interested in further details, a recording of the summit and presentation materials is available on Culture Action Europe’s YouTube channel.

The Mental Health Summit’s focus resonates strongly with the themes of the upcoming NEMO European Museum Conference, “Who cares? Museums, wellbeing, and resilience,” scheduled for 26–28 October 2025 in Horsens, Denmark. This conference will gather over 200 museum professionals, cultural workers, and health practitioners to explore the role of museums in promoting wellbeing and resilience—further strengthening the cultural dimension of mental health support. Save the dates – registration for the European Museum Conference opens in mid-June.

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