World Mental Health Day 2026: Using data to support better mental
health
World Mental Health Day is marked each year on 10 October to raise
awareness of mental health and encourage action against stigma and
unequal access to support. Mental health affects people of every age
and background, as well as families, workplaces and communities. The
day offers an opportunity to consider how reliable evidence can help
public authorities understand needs and design more effective
responses.

The European Commission's comprehensive approach to mental health
[https://commission.europa.eu/topics/public-health/european-health-union/comprehensive-approach-mental-health_en]
places mental health alongside physical health. Its 20 flagship
initiatives are guided by prevention, access to high-quality and
affordable care, and reintegration into society after recovery. The
concrete actions under this approach address mental well-being,
resilience, social inclusion and the stigma that can prevent people
from seeking support. Together, these measures aim to promote a
person-centred approach to mental health in Europe.

Open data supports this work by making patterns visible while
protecting personal information. On the European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/en], users can explore mental health datasets
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?locale=en&query=mental%20health]
and wider resources concerning well-being
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?locale=en&query=well-being]
and access to healthcare
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?locale=en&query=healthcare%20access].
These resources can help identify inequalities between groups and
regions, understand where services are hardest to access and make
better-informed decisions about where support is needed.

This World Mental Health Day, explore the European Commission's
overview of EU action on mental health
[https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/mental-health_en]
and search for mental health datasets
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?locale=en&query=mental%20health]
on the European Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en]. These
resources provide a starting point for anyone interested in learning
more about mental health in Europe.

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Publication Date/Time
2026-10-09T09:00:00+00:00
How open data can help reveal needs, inequalities and gaps in support
across Europe