Mental health crisis in Europe: Church calls for strengthening families and spiritual support

The Commission of the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) has published a study analyzing the mental health crisis in Europe from an ethical, social, and Christian perspective, and proposed recommendations for EU public policies.

The document, titled “Mental Health in Europe — A Call for Care,” states that Europe is facing a growing mental health crisis with increases in depression and anxiety being causes by various factors, such as loneliness, trauma, suicide, job insecurity, aging, digitalization, and forced migration.

The study notes that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the crisis while it simultaneously exposed the weaknesses of the European mental health care system.

The document, which advocates for a “comprehensive” vision of mental health that also encompasses social, relational, and spiritual dimensions, was prepared by the COMECE ethics committee.

Loneliness: One of the greatest risks to mental health

Friederike Ladenburger is a jurist, adviser on ethics, research, and health, and secretary of the commission. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, she emphasized the need to address mental health from a “multidimensional” perspective that takes into account not only biological and psychological needs but also “spiritual support.”

She also noted that the document stems from a concern regarding “current, urgent, and pressing” issues such as loneliness, one of the greatest risks to mental health today, which “has evolved into one of the major crises of our time.”

Ladenburger clarified that loneliness is defined as “the absence of social contact and the perceived discrepancy between a person’s desires and their actual social network,” emphasizing that the problem is not solely quantitative. “It is not just about the size of your network, but also the quality of your network,” she stated, underscoring the importance of having “meaningful, authentic, and lasting human connections.”

The document states that mental well-being depends not only on clinical treatments but also on strong human relationships, social integration, a sense of belonging, and respect for the dignity of every individual.

She noted that the report rests on three fundamental pillars drawn from Christian anthropology: that “the human person is created in the image of God,” that this dignity encompasses “both body and soul,” and that human beings possess an essential relational and spiritual dimension.

“One of the most important points of our report is the communal aspect of the human person,” she said, indicating that the Church can help address social isolation with community events.

Strengthening families

The COMECE study also emphasizes the need for the European Union to promote policies that strengthen families as a fundamental place where care takes place.

The report identifies the family as “the basic cell of society” and, in this vein, warned that Europe is undergoing “an urgent and dramatic demographic change.”

Consequently, Ladenburger called for greater financial support for young families: “They need financial support, financial relief, and the opportunity to start a family” as well as “jobs and decent housing.”

Technology must not replace human contact

Ladenburger expressed concern regarding the impact of artificial intelligence, particularly among young people, underscoring the need for European regulation to protect individuals from technological abuse, digital addiction, and online harassment.

She warned that the use of digital tools must be “supplementary, not substitutive,” acknowledging that digital technologies can improve access to psychological care but emphasizing that technology should complement, rather than replace, human contact.

She said that “the priority is the human being,” whose core capacity remains “to express empathy and feel with others.”

Spiritual accompaniment

In addition, COMECE called for European policies that include spiritual accompaniment in hospitals and in other vulnerable settings, including reproductive health, palliative and end-of-life care, and migration.

Regarding surrogacy, she explained that the report outlines the psychological risks for both the pregnant mother and the child. Likewise, concerning palliative care, it advocates for comprehensive care that is not limited to the clinical aspect. “Every human being must be treated with dignity, especially those who are suffering,” Ladenburger pointed out.

Emphasizing the importance of hospital chaplaincies and of every individual’s right to practice his or her religion, especially in situations of suffering or displacement, the bishops’ commission noted that effective support would not only be “medical or clinical … it also entails spiritual support.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/europe/mental-health-crisis-in-europe-church-calls-for-strengthening-families-and-spiritual-support