Mental Health Promotion and Prevention

Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety impose a significant burden on individuals and societies. Mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms affect one in five adults across OECD and EU27 countries, and they often go unrecognised and untreated, increasing the risk of progression to more severe conditions and raising overall societal costs. As part of the OECD's work on best practices in public health, this report identifies eleven promising best practice interventions implemented across OECD and EU27 countries. These include school-based resilience programmes, mental health literacy training with a focus on front-line professionals, suicide prevention initiatives, and improved access to mental healthcare services. OECD analyses show these interventions improve mental well-being, prevent symptom deterioration, enhance educational and occupational outcomes, and deliver measurable health and economic benefits. With adequate policy support - especially investment in workforce planning and the use of established implementation strategies - these interventions can be successfully scaled and transferred across countries.