Prevention of Depression and Suicide- Making it Happen, conférence, commission européenne, 10-11 déc. 2009

"Prevention of Depression and Suicide- Making it Happen"
Organised by the European Commission and Hungarian Ministry of Health with the Support of the Swedish Presidency of the EU and in collaboration with WHO Regional Office for Europe

Budapest, 10th - 11th December 2009
Kempinski Hotel Corvinus, Budapest

Conference Programme Background documents



This is the second of five thematic conferences that until 2011 are to implement the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being

EU Pact for Mental Health and Well-being- Hungarian translation

Objective of the conference:

1) Identify policies, programmes and other measures that should be prioritised when aiming to prevent depression and suicide
2) Highlight commitments to action of main actors and Member States in the area of prevention of depression and suicide
3) Enable an exchange at EU-level on policy activities, good practices by stakeholders and research projects and policies in Member States, supported by the Commission' s EU Compass for Action.


Main themes of the conference:

The conference was structured around following sub-themes:

- Determinants and Risk Factors of Depression
- Determinants and Risk Factors if Suicide
- Building Partnership with other Policies and Sectors
- Mainstreaming Mental Health in Health Disciplines
- e-Health, Internet and Media

- Improving the Knowledge Base


Presentations and the discussions will endorse the key actions and the messages highlighted in the conference background documents.

Key actions on Prevention of Depression and Suicide is available here

After the conference, the key actions paper will be revised according to feedback from the conference and summarised in the final conference report. This report will be used in a summary of the outcomes of all thematic conferences in 2011, and the preparation of a Commission paper (status to be defined) on promoting mental health and well-being in the EU.

To add your policy description or good practices description in prevention of depression and suicide to the EU database, click here.

To add reports, studies, policy recommendations, declaration and commitments for the implementation on prevention of depression and suicide click here.


The European Commission DG Health and Consumers organised a Journalist Prize in 2009 to award high-quality journalism that raises awareness of issues related to healthcare and patient's rights. Two of the winning articles deal with szichophrenia and tackle the subject in a very original and personal way with positive messages of living and coping with the disease. Read the articles:

"Schizophrenia explained to family and friends" by Estelle Saget (France), 1st prize
"Moving tale of will and courage" by Emilia Chiscop (Romania), 3rd prize

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