Pan-European conference on mental health reform opens in Armenia

The pan-European conference “Mental Health in Armenia: Towards Rights-Based Community Support” has kicked off in Armenia, focusing on strengthening human rights protections in mental healthcare, developing community-based services, overcoming societal stereotypes, and applying international experience to reform the sector.

The conference was organized by the Democracy Development Foundation.

Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of ongoing efforts in the mental health sector. He stressed the need not only to acknowledge existing problems but also to draw on international experience and professional expertise to address them.

The Ambassador noted that the European Union is one of Armenia’s key partners and supports the country’s democratic, economic, social and healthcare reforms. He also referred to the assistance provided to displaced persons from Karabakh, particularly emphasizing the psychosocial support extended to people affected by war and displacement.

“Mental health, at both the prevention and treatment levels, must be considered an integral part of overall healthcare reforms and efforts to strengthen the population’s health resilience. Health affects not only people’s mental well-being and lives but also has a significant impact on the economy. Therefore, I believe it is extremely important to invest in healthcare in order to have a more resilient economy,” Maragos said.

The Ambassador also stressed that the right to health is a fundamental human right and that no one should be left without attention and support.

Samvel Kharazyan, Deputy Minister of Health of Armenia, in turn, said that mental health issues evolve over time and take on new forms amid technological advances and societal changes. He said the state must respond appropriately to these changes while ensuring the protection of the rights of people with mental health conditions.

The Deputy Minister said that, at the initiative of the Ministry of Health, amendments to the Law on Psychiatric Care and Services had been drafted, focusing on the protection of human rights and the introduction of approaches used in international practice. The amendments are also intended to create opportunities for developing new models of community-based mental health care services.

“We must try to create a model that will make it possible to combine the protection of the rights of people with mental health conditions and their right to a dignified life with meeting their other current needs. We have been talking about this for years and have undertaken certain work, but we have yet to develop a practical, person-centered model solution that takes these people's rights and interests into account,” Kharazyan emphasized.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns, noting that the stigma and negative attitudes toward people with mental health conditions must be overcome.

MP Zaruhi Batoyan, Deputy Chair of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health Care, noted that some progress had already been made in the mental health sector, but much work remained to achieve systemic change.

She said that approaches to mental health had changed around the world, while public perceptions in Armenia had not evolved sufficiently. Stereotypes remain widespread, including the belief that people with mental health conditions should be isolated and that their care should be limited to treatment. However, the issue concerns not only healthcare but also social protection, human rights, local self-government and economic activity.

“When we talk about education and raising awareness among journalists and the public, we must not forget decision-makers. Even if we develop the best laws and, as experts and international organizations, present the best practices, we will not be able to achieve significant change if perceptions and beliefs among decision-makers do not change,” Batoyan said.

Georgette Mulheir, a leading global expert on deinstitutionalization, addressed the consequences of keeping people with mental health conditions in institutions. She stressed that democratic societies need to transition to a system in which every person is valued and has the opportunity to live in the community and participate fully in public life.

She said that institutions have historically been used to accommodate people whom society wanted to control. Although these institutions are presented as places intended to protect and support people, evidence accumulated over more than a century points to the negative consequences of living in them.

“Although institutions claim to have been established to protect and help people, evidence accumulated over more than 100 years shows that they seriously harm the physical and mental health of every person living in them, despite the best efforts of those managing these institutions. People are not meant to live in institutions; they should live in the community,” Mulheir emphasized.

The event was organized as part of the “Rights, Services, Participation: Promoting a Comprehensive Mental Health Framework in Armenia” project, implemented with funding from the European Union.