EUREGENAS (European Regions Enforcing Actions Against Suicide) is a three years project, which has received funding from the European Union under the Public Health Programme 2008-2013.
Project Summary
The overall objective of the Euregenas project is to contribute to the prevention of suicidality (suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide) in Europe through the development and implementation of strategies for suicide prevention at regional level that can be of use to the European Community as examples of good practice.
Suicide accounts for 2% of all years of life prematurely lost. Suicide is never the consequence of a single cause or stressor and its rates change between regions and local communities as well as over time and within various risk groups. The existing discrepancies in suicide rates within Member states and Regions demonstrate the need for tailoring distinctive approaches according to local and regional contexts. The EUREGENAS project aims, therefore, to contribute to the prevention of suicidality (suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide) in Europe through the development and implementation of strategies for suicide prevention at regional level that can be of use to the European Community as examples of good practice. For this purpose, the EUREGENAS project brings together 11 regions with diverse experiences in suicide prevention and will promote the creation of sustainable networks involving health and other public authorities as well as non-health stakeholders and civil society.
Specific Objectives
The project brings together 15 partners with different experiences in suicide prevention.
The specific objectives are to:
- Identify and catalogue good practices of existing actions and strategies on suicide prevention
- Carry out a stakeholders’ needs analysis
- Develop and disseminate guidelines and toolkits on suicide prevention and awareness raising strategies
- Develop the technical specifications for an integrated model for e-mental healthcare oriented at suicide prevention
- Improve knowledge and capabilities among local and regional professionals (i.e. psychologists, psychiatrists, GPs)
According to the second programme of Community action in the field of public health, the project promotes the use of regional cluster management as innovative method to improve the existing services. Special attention will be given to tailored-made solutions that would be developed by taking into account target groups, social trends and the contextual needs of each participating region.
By encouraging regional interventions and campaigns dedicated to both target groups and on-health stakeholders, the project aims to implement the Mental Health Pact in relation to:
- Prevention of suicide
- De-stigmatisation of mental health disorders
- Promoting health in youth.
Furthermore, the project aims to develop guidelines and promote evidence-based good practices that can be included in the Mental Health Compass.