06/11/2025 - Press release
The rate of healthcare service coverage for mental disorders among the adult population in Europe is scarce and insufficient. In other words, the percentage of people with a mental condition who receive any kind of treatment is, in some countries, practically zero and, overall, the entire continent is failing. A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe paints a deeply concerning picture of the situation in this field, showing limited coverage and even lower figures when considering the number of people who receive appropriate treatment for their disorder.
The study, a systematic review of scientific articles published over the past two decades on this subject, involved Dr. Jordi Alonso, coordinator of the Health Services Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and professor of Public Health at Pompeu Fabra University. The first conclusion of the study, which analyzed 45 publications, is, according to Dr. Alonso, that "there is a significant lack of data, both by country and by disorder, making it difficult to know where we are starting from." The study also includes researchers from the World Health Organization, the University of Verona in Italy, the London School of Economics, King's College London in the United Kingdom, and the Global Mental Health Peer Network.
The review found that only in the case of severe mental disorders, such as psychosis, do European countries achieve relatively high levels of coverage - between 50% and 90% - though this wide range hides cases of extremely low coverage. For other conditions, such as major depression, data from Belgium show that 36% of people with the disorder have received some form of treatment, but only 11% have received adequate treatment. In anxiety disorders, figures range from 47% in Sweden to 7% in Bulgaria. For substance and/or alcohol use disorders, the percentages of adults receiving treatment are extremely low. The most vulnerable groups include women, sexual minorities, ethnic minorities, immigrants, and homeless people. In the case of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), data are so scarce that assessing the real situation is nearly impossible.
In Spain, only one in three people with any kind of mental disorder receives some form of treatment - and less than 12% receive adequate care. For major depression, 28% receive treatment, of which only 18% is appropriate. For anxiety, the figures are 29.5% and 12%, respectively. For substance and alcohol use disorders, only 5.2% receive proper treatment.
"All these data put at risk the World Health Organization's goal of achieving a 50% increase in treatment coverage," explains Dr. Alonso. They also highlight the wide disparities and inequalities in healthcare coverage across the continent, extending beyond the European Union. To address this, the researchers make several recommendations, both regarding supply and demand. First and foremost, they call for "a harmonized and continuous European mental health monitoring system," adds Dr. Alonso.
On the supply side, they call for more professionals and more funding to address the population's mental health needs, decentralization of services, and integration of mental health care into primary care. They also emphasize the importance of person-centered care, efforts to reduce stigma, and the inclusion of mental health within universal healthcare coverage in all European countries.
On the demand side, they recommend educational campaigns on mental health and existing services, as well as initiatives to normalize conversations about mental health. They also advocate for empowering users and promoting participation and dialogue around treatments.
Reference article
Corrado Barbui, Jordi Alonso, Dan Chisholm, Sara Evans-Lacko, Roxanne C. Keynejad, Ledia Lazeri, et al. Mental health service coverage and gaps among adults in Europe: a systematic review. 2025/10/01, PY-2025. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101458
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