MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION

Background: Having the person at the center of health, both in person-centered clinical care and people-centered public health [1] are a guiding principle in health promotion. Mental health is an integral part of each person’s health and well-being. This is an absolute necessity always and more so during the years of the coronavirus pandemic and the post-pandemic “new normal”. Objective: To discuss the basic concepts of health, mental health, health promotion and mental health promotion, focusing on peace and justice, two key target areas and goals of mental health promotion [2,3]. Method: The holistic approach, the need to reduce stigma and discrimination, and the person- and people-centered approach in mental health promotion were reviewed. Results: The importance of identifying target populations and using paradigms of mental health promotion initiatives, like the Athens Mental Health Promotion Initiative, was noted, as well as the positive role played by celebrities who have excelled despite their mental disorders (“recovery”). The relevance of mental health promotion guidance and effectiveness of existing mental health promotion strategies have to be updated by further research in order to meet the need for intensification of mental health promotion efforts during the COVID pandemic. Conclusion: In the post-COVID era a “new normal” requires an update of policies for an intensified and different person-centered approach delivered by different providers to different recipients of services.