"The Size and Burden of Mental Disorders in Europe", includes the most salient findings from a total of 150,000 subjects and 27 studies conducted across Europe. Core findings reveal Europe's enormous burden in terms of disabilities associated with mental disorders: during any given year, 93 million people, or 27% of the EU population, experience at least one mental disorder such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, substance dependence, social phobia or panic disorder. Scholars predict that as new benchmark data, European Neuropsychopharmacology's special report will have profound consequences for future research, health care and policy issues. In addition, the report identifies critical gaps in the knowledge of specific mental disorders and the reasons for the current under-treatment of mental disorders within Europe.
The principal investigator of the ECNP special report task force, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Technical University Dresden, Germany, noted, "We believe that the newly established interdisciplinary network which emerged from the "Size and Burden" is an important starting point for future coordinated and continuous high-quality mental health research, as well as better funding for research, training and education programmes."
Nello Spiteri, Publisher of European Neuropsychopharmacology at Elsevier remarked, "World Mental Health Day is always an important moment to pause and reflect on the new research being done-and the advances achieved-in the field of mental health. We are very pleased that this special issue of European Neuropsychopharmacology will contribute to increasingly informed European research and policy choices in the future."
About World Mental Health Day
Celebrated annually on October 10th, the 2005 Mental Health Day theme is "Mental and Physical Health Across the Life Span: The Relationship Between Physical and Mental Health". Sponsored by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) since 1992, World Mental Health Day recognizes the crucial connection between mental and physical well being across all stages of life. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the WFMH's mission is to promote the highest level of mental health, and to advance both the prevention of mental and emotional disorders and the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders, for people of all nations. (www.wfmh.org/wmhday/about.html)
About the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)
The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP; www.ecnp.nl) was established in 1986 by scientists and clinicians working in Europe in the field of neuropsychopharmacology and related disciplines. ECNP facilitates research and communication within the field through congresses, workshops, consensus meetings, educational teams and regional meetings. ECNP ensures the ongoing high quality of its scientific programme by submitting its annual Congress for continuous medical education (CME) accreditation and encouraging satellite symposia organizers to do the same. In addition, ECNP has created a series of awards programmes ranging acknowledging senior scientists for their pioneering work in neuropsychopharmacology to supporting young scientists by waiving Congress registration fees and holding the ECNP Workshop on Neuropsychopharmacology for Young Scientists in Europe. In order to achieve a common policy in neuropsychopharmacology, ECNP initiates and participates in the dialogue between the European regulatory and funding authorities and the local European regulatory affair institutions.
About European Neuropsychopharmacology
Launched in 1990, ECNP's journal European Neuropsychopharmacology is published by Elsevier and provides a medium for the prompt publication of articles in the field of neuropsychopharmacology. Its scope encompasses clinical and basic research relevant to the effects of drugs on the brain and behaviour. All issues of European Neuropsychopharmacology are now available via ScienceDirect with free access to the Table of Contents and Abstracts through 1990. More information about the journal's editors, editorial board and author instructions available via ScienceDirect. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0924977X)
About the European Brain Council
Officially founded on the 22nd of March 2002 in Brussels, the European Brain Council (EBC) is a coordinating body formed by European organizations within neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, basic brain research (neuroscience), patient organizations for neurology and psychiatry, together with industry. The EBC campaigns for brain research and brain diseases within the European Commission, the European Parliament, amongst others. The aims of the EBC are to promote basic and clinical brain research, to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and care of those affected by a brain disease and to promote increased teaching in brain related disciplines at medical school and elsewhere. The EBC also seeks to increase awareness of brain diseases and brain research in the general population. (http://www.europeanbraincouncil.org/index.htm)
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier's 7,000 employees in 74 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com/), Scopus (http://www.news.scopus.com/), bibliographic databases, and online reference works.
Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com/) is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier's ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
ECNP Media Contact:
Maria Vrijmoed - de Vries, PhD
Manager Science, Education and Communication
Tel: +31 (0) 30 253 8567
E-mail: m.vrijmoed-devries@ecnp.nl
Elsevier Media Contact:
Phil Bishop, Publishing Editor
Elsevier Health Sciences
Tel: +31 (0) 20 485 3597
E-mail: p.j.bishop@elsevier.com
Notes to Editors:
A press copy of the "The Size and Burden of Mental Disorders in Europe", European Neuropsychopharmacology special issue is available upon request. In addition a press conference will be held at the 18th annual ECNP Congress at the RAI Congress Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on Monday October 24, 2005, from 9.00-10.00. On October 25, Professor Wittchen will also conduct an in depth discussion of "The size and burden of mental disorders in Europe". Further press procedures and highlights of the 18th ECNP Congress in Amsterdam can be found at www.ecnp.nl, (Congresses, Amsterdam 2005).
Journal
European Neuropsychopharmacology