abstract: 'This European Psychiatric Association (EPA) guidance paper is a result

  of the Working Group on Mental Health Consequences of Economic Crises of

  the EPA Council of National Psychiatric Associations. Its purpose is to

  identify the impact on mental health in Europe of the economic downturn

  and the measures that may be taken to respond to it. We performed a

  review of the existing literature that yields 350 articles on which our

  conclusions and recommendations are based. Evidence-based tables and

  recommendations were developed through an expert consensus process.

  Literature dealing with the consequences of economic turmoil on the

  health and health behaviours of the population is heterogeneous, and the

  results are not completely unequivocal. However, there is a broad

  consensus about the deleterious consequences of economic crises on

  mental health, particularly on psychological well-being, depression,

  anxiety disorders, insomnia, alcohol abuse, and suicidal behaviour.

  Unemployment, indebtedness, precarious working conditions, inequalities,

  lack of social connectedness, and housing instability emerge as main

  risk factors. Men at working age could be particularly at risk, together

  with previous low SES or stigmatized populations. Generalized austerity

  measures and poor developed welfare systems trend to increase the

  harmful effects of economic crises on mental health. Although many

  articles suggest limitations of existing research and provide

  suggestions for future research, there is relatively little discussion

  of policy approaches to address the negative impact of economic crises

  on mental health. The few studies that addressed policy questions

  suggested that the development of social protection programs such as

  active labour programs, social support systems, protection for housing

  instability, and better access to mental health care, particularly at

  primary care level, is strongly needed.'
affiliation: 'Martin-Carrasco, M (Corresponding Author), Ma Josefa Recio Fdn Hospitaller
  Sisters, Inst Psychiat Res, Bilbao, Spain.

  Martin-Carrasco, M (Corresponding Author), Ctr Invest Red Salud Mental CIBERSAM,
  Madrid, Spain.

  Martin-Carrasco, M (Corresponding Author), Dept Psychiat, Clin Padre Menni, Joaquin
  Beunza 45, Pamplona 31014, Spain.

  Martin-Carrasco, M.; Gonzalez-Fraile, E., Ma Josefa Recio Fdn Hospitaller Sisters,
  Inst Psychiat Res, Bilbao, Spain.

  Martin-Carrasco, M.; Gomez-Beneyto, M., Ctr Invest Red Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Madrid,
  Spain.

  Christodoulou, N. G., Univ Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, England.

  Evans-Lacko, S., Kings Coll London, Inst Psychiat, Hlth Serv \& Populat Res Dept,
  De Crespigny Pk, London WC2R 2LS, England.

  Evans-Lacko, S., Univ London London Sch Econ \& Polit Sci, PSSRU, Houghton St, London
  WC2A 2AE, England.

  Dom, G., Univ Antwerp, Collaborat Antwerp Psychiat Res Inst, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium.

  Samochowiec, J., Pomeranian Med Univ, Dept Psychiat, Szczecin, Poland.

  Bienkowski, P., Inst Psychiat \& Neurol, Dept Pharmacol, Warsaw, Poland.

  Gomez-Beneyto, M., Univ Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

  Dos Santos, M. J. H., Beatriz Angelo Hosp, Portuguese Soc Psychiat \& Mental Hlth,
  Lisbon, Portugal.

  Wasserman, D., Karolinska Inst, Natl Ctr Suicide Res \& Prevent Mental Hlth, Stockholm,
  Sweden.

  Martin-Carrasco, M., Dept Psychiat, Clin Padre Menni, Joaquin Beunza 45, Pamplona
  31014, Spain.'
author: Martin-Carrasco, M. and Evans-Lacko, S. and Dom, G. and Christodoulou, N.
  G. and Samochowiec, J. and Gonzalez-Fraile, E. and Bienkowski, P. and Gomez-Beneyto,
  M. and Dos Santos, M. J. H. and Wasserman, D.
author-email: martincarrasco.manuel@gmail.com
author_list:
- family: Martin-Carrasco
  given: M.
- family: Evans-Lacko
  given: S.
- family: Dom
  given: G.
- family: Christodoulou
  given: N. G.
- family: Samochowiec
  given: J.
- family: Gonzalez-Fraile
  given: E.
- family: Bienkowski
  given: P.
- family: Gomez-Beneyto
  given: M.
- family: Dos Santos
  given: M. J. H.
- family: Wasserman
  given: D.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1007/s00406-016-0681-x
eissn: 1433-8491
files: []
issn: 0940-1334
journal: EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE
keywords: 'Economic crisis; Mental health; Psychiatric care; Depression;

  Unemployment; Suicide; Welfare system; Europe'
keywords-plus: 'INCOME-RELATED INEQUALITIES; PERCEIVED JOB INSECURITY; GLOBAL FINANCIAL

  CRISIS; REPEATED CROSS-SECTIONS; GREAT RECESSION; SUICIDE RATES;

  PRIMARY-CARE; TIME-SERIES; RISK-FACTORS; PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS'
language: English
month: MAR
number: '2'
number-of-cited-references: '350'
orcid-numbers: 'Samochowiec, Jerzy/0000-0003-1438-583X

  Evans-Lacko, Sara/0000-0003-4691-2630

  Dom, Geert/0000-0001-6492-0429

  González-Fraile, Eduardo/0000-0001-9381-3358

  González-Fraile, Eduardo/0000-0001-9381-3358

  Samochowiec, Jerzy/0000-0003-1438-583X

  Heitor dos Santos, Maria/0000-0003-3481-091X

  Christodoulou, Nikos/0000-0002-6401-0828'
pages: 89-124
papis_id: 3579825ff9c1918cd22d60ad8529e791
ref: Martincarrasco2016epaguidance
researcherid-numbers: 'Samochowiec, Jerzy/GMX-0900-2022

  Evans-Lacko, Sara/F-8489-2014

  Christodoulou, Nikos/HJP-5458-2023

  Dom, Geert/C-7215-2017

  González-Fraile, Eduardo/AAD-9355-2020

  González-Fraile, Eduardo/F-5693-2019

  Gonzalez-Fraile, Eduardo/AAG-7980-2019

  Samochowiec, Jerzy/G-8175-2014

  '
tags:
- review
times-cited: '80'
title: EPA guidance on mental health and economic crises in Europe
type: Review
unique-id: WOS:000373306300002
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '51'
volume: '266'
web-of-science-categories: Clinical Neurology; Psychiatry
year: '2016'