Session 14

Digital mental health in Europe

Mind the app

organised by the Social Security Institution for the Self-employed (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen) and the International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies

This session builds on a comparative assessment on mental health apps, examining how European countries regulate, evaluate, and implement digital mental health solutions. The study maps approval and reimbursement pathways, assessment and quality standards, covering a spectrum of use cases –from resilience building and diagnostic support to therapeutic interventions, and telemedicine. The session will also inquire into the level of digital health literacy required for effective app use and identify potential red flags in prescribing or recommending such tools. By synthesising best practices and challenges across Europe, panellists will discuss policy recommendations aimed at enabling the safe, effective, and equitable adoption of digital mental health applications. Interactive audience and panellist dialogue will offer complementary perspectives on different digital health strategies and the strategic implications for European health systems, exploring how digital mental health solutions can serve not merely as technological add-ons but as investments in healthier people — and in a more resilient, united Europe.