One in four people in Europe suffer from mental health problems and this sector is expected to provide the biggest challenge to existing health systems by 2010, Health, Elderly and Community Care Minister Louis Deguara said yesterday.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the Richmond Foundation to discuss a EU Green Paper on mental health, Minister Deguara said that 14 per cent of children in the eight to 18 age group suffer from depression or some other sort of similar condition.

He said that an estimated three to four per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is lost because of mental health problems, increased stress levels and the high incidence of depression among employees.

The Health Division will soon be giving the Mental Health Commission new Terms of Reference to help it deal with the challenging problems that affect society today.

He said the Green Paper was a positive step forward and one that would hopefully lead to a common European policy on mental health, in the light of an increase in the rate of suicide and a greater incidence of mental health problems.

Richmond Foundation chairperson Anthony Guillaimier said that similar consultation exercises were important in the run up to the publication of a national action plan on mental health.

The Mental Health Commission is particularly interested in the relevance of mental health within the strategic political context of the EU and how such a comprehensive strategy could eventually create a link between research and health policy.

Dr Juliette Galea explained the legal concepts of the Green Paper particularly with regard to the promotion of health, the prevention of illnesses and information on health. She also gave a brief explanation on how a law is eventually enacted in Parliament and the corresponding legal process in EU institutions.

Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat gave a short presentation on how the government consults with stakeholders to give its contribution to EU health policy, in this case on the Green Paper regarding mental health.

Dr Ray Xerri explained the importance of this Green Paper which includes priorities such as the promotion of mental health, the tackling of major disorders and the supporting of vulnerable groups and the improvement of the quality of life of people with mental health problems through social inclusion and the protection of their rights and dignity.

Dr Joseph Saliba, a consultant psychiatrist gave a detailed explanation of mental health policy at a European level and explained the various technical parts of the proposed Green Paper.