JA PRISM at the High-Level Conference on Mental Health and Inclusiveness
JA PRISM participated in the High-Level Conference on Mental Health and Inclusiveness under the Cyprus Presidency, bringing its work on inclusive, rights-based mental health approaches into European policy discussions and highlighting the importance of community empowerment and lived experience.
On 26–27 January 2026, the PRISM Mental Health Joint Action took part in the High-Level Conference on Mental Health and Inclusiveness, organised under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The conference brought together policymakers, mental health professionals, researchers and other key stakeholders to discuss how Europe can strengthen mental health and wellbeing through more inclusive and effective policies and actions.
As part of the conference, the session “Empowering Community: Shaping Policy and Action for Mental Health and Wellbeing” provided a particularly relevant platform for JA PRISM. The session highlighted the importance of empowering communities and involving people with lived experience in shaping mental health policies and services – principles that are central to the Joint Action’s approach.
Our coordinating institution, Biosistemak, presented the PRISM approach through an intervention by Dr Ane Fullaondo Zabala, highlighting how the Joint Action works to strengthen mental health among vulnerable population groups across Europe.
JA PRISM contributes to the development of sustainable, inclusive and rights-based approaches to mental health, with a focus on prevention, early intervention and approaches that can be adapted and scaled across different European contexts. In doing so, the project supports the broader objectives of the European Mental Health Strategy.
Participation in the conference offered an important opportunity to bring the work of JA PRISM into EU-level policy discussions, exchange knowledge with key stakeholders and strengthen connections that can support future collaboration.
Most importantly, the conference reinforced a shared message: effective mental health action must be shaped together with the people and communities it aims to support. By placing inclusion, empowerment and lived experience at the heart of its work, JA PRISM aims to contribute to a more resilient and mentally healthy Europe.
