Mental health has moved from the margins to the centre of European public health debate — and the data shows why. According to the World Health Organization’s European Region, around one in six people across the region lives with a mental health condition (WHO/Europe, 2026). In the European Union specifically, mental health problems affected an estimated 84 million people as of 2019 (Amand-Eeckhout, 2025). Subsequent assessments suggest those numbers have continued to worsen in the years since.
These figures sit alongside a troubling gap in care: as many as one in three people living with a mental health condition in the WHO European Region do not receive the treatment they need. For those living with psychosis, the situation is even starker (WHO/Europe, 2026).
A growing crisis at work
The picture is particularly sharp in the workplace. EU-OSHA’s OSH Pulse 2025 survey — which polled more than 28,000 workers across the EU and neighboring countries — found that 29% of EU workers report suffering from stress, depression or anxiety, with over 40% reporting severe time pressure and nearly one in three feeling that their efforts go unrecognized (EU-OSHA, 2025).
The scale of this challenge prompted EU-OSHA to dedicate its upcoming Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2026–28 to the theme “Together for mental health at work.”
The AXA Mind Health 2025 study adds further texture to this picture. Across 16 countries and 17,000 respondents, AXA found that 44% of young adults aged 18–34 are experiencing severe or extreme levels of anxiety, stress, or depression — a figure that underscores the particular vulnerability of younger workers and students (AXA, 2025). In France, analysis cited in the AXA press materials indicates that mental health has become the leading cause of long-term sick leave.
Young people and digital life
WHO Europe has also highlighted growing concern around child and adolescent mental health. In related WHO reporting, more than 1 in 10 adolescents report signs of problematic social media behavior, pointing to the complex relationship between digital life and emotional wellbeing.
Why this matters
These figures provide important context for the work of the NEI Institute. Across Europe, mental health systems are under significant pressure, with demand for support exceeding available services in many regions. This has prompted growing interest in preventative approaches and in a broader ecosystem of practices that support emotional regulation and resilience alongside clinical care.
Understanding the scale of the challenge helps frame the wider conversation about how different fields — including emerging approaches such as neuro-emotional integration — might contribute to supporting emotional health.
References
Amand-Eeckhout, L. (2025, October 9). World Mental Health Day: 10 October 2025 (EPRS At a Glance PE 777.934). European Parliamentary Research Service, European Parliament.
AXA. (2025). Mind Health Report 2025.
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). (2025, September 23). OSH Pulse 2025: Occupational safety and health in the era of climate and digital change — Summary report.
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. (2025, November). Child and youth mental health in the WHO European Region: Status and actions to strengthen quality of care.
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. (2026, January 8). Mental health: Fact sheet.