Towards a comprehensive European Mental Health Strategy

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. Health is therefore a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. There are numerous ways in which mental and physical health are interlinked and reinforce one another. For example, poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical conditions. Additionally, people with chronic physical conditions are at risk of developing poor mental health.

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