Introduction
Millions of people suffer from mental health problems. Some people are able to resolve them, but for others mental health problems can be both a cause and a consequence of social exclusion.
Social exclusion is what happens when society marginalises people so that they are not able to play a full and equal part in their community. Many people who suffer from mental health problems live in poverty and experience stigma and discrimination. They may find it hard to access employment or to find adequate housing. The result is that people can become seriously isolated and excluded from social and working life.
In the last few years, there has been some progress in addressing these concerns, but a great deal still needs to be done in order to further reduce the social exclusion of people with mental health problems.
Mental Health Europe (MHE), together with its partners, wishes to provide evidence and highlight the success of existing best practices that can help to end the stigma and social exclusion of these persons.