7.8 Current debates and reforms
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Forthcoming policy developments
As part of its commitment to strengthening mental health services, the Council of Ministers approved the National Mental Health Strategy 2025-2028 (Εθνική Στρατηγική για τη Ψυχική Υγεία) in March 2025. Developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant stakeholders, the strategy aims to enhance mental health services, promote social inclusion, and improve the quality of life for individuals with mental health conditions. The strategy focuses on six key pillars, including prevention, development of hospital and community-based services, social inclusion, stigma reduction and rights protection, policy integration, and research promotion.
An Action Plan outlines concrete measures, responsible entities, implementation timelines, and financial estimates. Additionally, a National Mental Health Committee will be established to oversee progress.
Moreover, the new National Youth Strategy 2030 is expected to be finalised within 2025 and will be accompanied by an action plan with measures targeting, among others, the well-being of young people.
Ongoing debates
In the public and political sphere, the topic of young people’s mental health and well-being continues to be of primary importance, especially among stakeholders who influence youth policies.
The project 'Supporting Mental health Resilience among Youth in Cyprus' that was funded by the European Commission via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, resulted in the report 'Young Minds Matter: Mental Health Support for Youth and Children in Cyprus'. The main findings are the following:
- Youth mental health is still taboo and mental health disorders are a stigma.
- There is an urgent need to upgrade and expand mental health services for young people.
- There is a need for cooperation between agencies and mental health services.
- There is a need to provide mental health information and services digitally.