JA PRISM

Project description

Background

Mental health disorders affect a large proportion of the global population. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, around 970 million people worldwide were estimated to be living with mental illness, including about 84 million people in the EU (approximately 1 in 6 citizens). Mental disorders represent the leading cause of years lived with disability globally, with major economic and social consequences.

Recent global developments—including the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, economic instability, climate crisis and increasing digitalisation—have further worsened mental health outcomes. Vulnerable populations such as children and adolescents, older adults, migrants, refugees, people with substance use disorders and individuals with mental health conditions are particularly affected.

Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive, prevention-oriented and rights-based approaches that promote mental health, prevent mental disorders and improve access to care. The JA PRISM project responds to this need by supporting the transfer and implementation of evidence-based best practices across European countries.

JA PRISM will facilitate the implementation of the three practices with a clear human rights approach. The three practices to be transferred are:

• The BIZI Program (focused on suicide prevention)
• Circle of Friends (addressing loneliness in elderly)
• Act, Belong, Commit (fostering emotional wellbeing in children and young people)

Purpose of the project

JA PRISM aims to reduce the burden of mental ill health among vulnerable groups by promoting ways to obtain and maintain a good mental health, preventing mental health problems, and improving access to treatment and services across the EU and Associated Countries. This will be achieved through the transfer and roll-out of three best and promising practices with clear human rights approaches into new contexts. These practices target vulnerable groups in three key areas: suicide prevention, loneliness in the elderly, and emotional well-being in children and young people. By implementing these interventions, the initiative seeks to improve mental health and quality of life for vulnerable populations, leading to increased access to care and measurable improvements in well-being.

Slovenia participates in the JA PRISM project as one of the implementation sites. The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) will implement the Act, Belong, Commit (ABC) approach aimed at promoting mental wellbeing.

Planned activity

• Practice implemented: Act, Belong, Commit (ABC)
• Implementation level: Level 2 – Small scale implementation

Level 2 implementation means that the practice will be piloted at local or regional level, allowing testing, adaptation to the national context and preparation for possible future large-scale implementation.

Target group

Within JA PRISM the ABC framework is primarily oriented toward children and young people, aiming to:

• promote emotional wellbeing,
• strengthen mental health literacy,
• encourage active participation in meaningful social activities.

Role within the consortium

NIJZ participates as a competent authority partner within the consortium and contributes to:

• implementation of the ABC framework,
• exchange of knowledge and experiences with other countries,
• evaluation of the implemented practice,
• dissemination of results at national and European levels.

Project objectives

General objective

To reduce the burden of mental ill health among vulnerable populations through promotion, prevention and improved access to mental health services.

Key specific objectives

1. Promote good mental health and prevent mental health problems.
2. Improve access to evidence-based and innovative mental health interventions.
3. Improve quality of life through patient-centred care and a human-rights-based approach.
4. Support Member States in adopting a comprehensive mental health approach for vulnerable groups.
5. Ensure sustainability of adapted practices at national level.
6. Facilitate the transfer of effective mental health practices to new contexts.
7. Strengthen collaboration with other EU initiatives (e.g. JA MENTOR).
8. Disseminate project activities and results at national and international levels.
9. Evaluate the project’s performance and impact.
10. Ensure efficient project management.

Specific objective in Slovenia

The objective in Slovenia is to pilot the ABC approach in schools. Participating schools are expected to implement at least one strategy for each ABC component:

• Act – encouraging physical, social and mental activity
• Belong – strengthening social connectedness
• Commit – engaging in meaningful activities

Phases of the project (Work Packages)

The project is organised into 7 Work Packages (WPs):

WP1 – Coordination and Management
Ensures efficient project governance, coordination, and administrative management.

WP2 – Communication and Dissemination
Manages internal and external communication, dissemination of results, and stakeholder engagement.

WP3 – Evaluation
Develops and implements the evaluation framework for assessing the project’s processes, outputs and impact.

WP4 – Sustainability
Ensures long-term sustainability and scalability of the implemented practices.

WP5 – Implementation of BIZI Programme
Transfer and adaptation of the BIZI programme, focusing on suicide prevention.

WP6 – Implementation of Circle of Friends
Transfer and adaptation of the Circle of Friends practice, addressing loneliness among older adults.

WP7 – Implementation of Act, Belong, Commit (ABC)
Transfer and adaptation of the ABC framework, promoting mental wellbeing among children and young people.

Added value

The European added value of JA PRISM lies in:

• Transnational collaboration across 18 EU Member States and 2 Associated Countries.
• Scaling up proven mental health practices across different health systems and cultural contexts.
• Strengthening capacity building and knowledge exchange among countries.
• Promoting a human-rights-based and prevention-oriented approach to mental health.
• Creating synergies with existing EU initiatives such as Healthier Together, JA MENTOR, and WHO frameworks.

Expected results and materials

The project is expected to deliver:

• Implementation of 59 pilot sites across participating countries.
• Transfer and adaptation of three best practices in mental health.
• Capacity-building workshops and training programmes.
• Policy recommendations for mental health promotion and prevention.
• Dissemination materials and scientific publications.
• Sustainability toolkit for long-term implementation.
• Networks and partnerships supporting mental health initiatives.

Duration of the project: 1. 9. 2025 – 31. 8. 2028

Leading organization: Biosistemak Institute for Health Systems Research (Spain) – Project coordinator.

Project partners

In this project 60 organisations from 20 European countries are working together to improve mental health in vulnerable groups. The consortium includes 30 beneficiaries, 28 affiliated entities and 1 associated partner from 18 EU Member States (including Slovenia, represented by NIJZ) and 2 Associated Countries, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Funding: The project is funded under the EU4Health Programme – Joint Actions 2024 call.

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the body that co-finances the campaign can be held responsible for them.