On Friday, 6 October, the General Curia of the Order hosted a meeting of the Europe working group dedicated to mental health of experts from the Order's European Provinces and the Sisters Hospitallers.

The meeting focused on planning a number of joint activities which the mental health services of the Order and the Sisters would be carrying out as part of the strategy adopted this year by the European Union to strengthen and improve national mental health systems.

The area which will receive the most attention in the coming months will be the mental health of young people, which has worsened considerably since the Covid19 pandemic, with the publication of the most innovative intervention programmes offered in this area in the Provinces and a collaborative venture the Don Bosco Salesian Congregation to stage a series of international webinars on the mental health of young people in 2024.

The Order and the Sisters Hospitallers have also applied to lead a professional development programme on mental health promoted by the European Commission and an information and awareness programme on the rights of psychiatric patients coordinated by the World Health Organisation.

The meeting was chaired by Brother Joaquim Erra and Dr Carlo Galasso.