EQUICARES is a Horizon Europe project dedicated to improving access to mental health and care services for vulnerable groups. By identifying barriers and developing innovative, sustainable, and digital solutions, the project aims to make mental healthcare more equitable and accessible.

To achieve this, EQUICARES applies cutting-edge research methods, including advanced evaluation frameworks, computational social sciences, and cost-analysis techniques. The project is piloting solutions in eight regions across seven countries, testing real-world innovations to ensure their effectiveness.

Through Smart Health Labs, EQUICARES fosters community involvement, enabling co-creation of solutions tailored to local needs. Additionally, it introduces an AI Assistant to enhance mental health literacy and digital skills.

By providing evidence-based insights, cost evaluations, and practical tools, EQUICARES empowers policymakers and communities to create sustainable, inclusive mental health policies, bridging healthcare gaps across Europe.

Main target groups

• Vulnerable groups:
  • People with disabilities
  • Roma community
  • LGBTIQ+ community
  • Women
  • Older People
  • Migrants and refugees
  • People with low socio-economic status
• Mental health service providers
• Public authorities, including regional
• Authorities and public service providers
• Academia starting from our academic
• Private sector including private mental
• Health service providers, social entrepreneurs
• EU-wide stakeholders
• Civil society: NGOs, general public, etc.

Activities

Conducting research and evaluation of mental health services by:

• Applying the Levesque’s framework to assess accessibility and quality of mental health services.
• Utilising social science research with computational techniques to reach hard-to-access populations and gather quantitative and qualitative data on healthcare inequalities.
• Combining complementary cost-analysis techniques to evaluate financial impacts.

Mapping current solutions and supporting policy development by:

• Conducting digital ethnography to map existing innovative mental health solutions.
• Analysing the accessibility of mental health services and integrating findings into the broader healthcare system.
• Visualising insights in an Atlas for policymakers to support evidence-based decision-making.

Conducting pilot initiatives & ensuring community engagement by:

• Implementing and testing innovative mental health solutions in 8 areas across 7 countries, covering diverse vulnerable groups.
• Engaging communities through “Smart Health Labs” to co-design, implement, and assess solutions based on social economy and user innovation.

Promoting technological & digitalal inclusion by:

• Developing an AI-based Assistant to enhance digital and mental health literacy.
• Raising awareness and builds capacity at the individual level.

Increasing evidence-based decison-making and policy impact by:

• Testing the value of innovative solutions and applies novel cost-analysis techniques to quantify the impact of inaction.
• Replicating results in 4 additional cases to validate findings.
• Developing the Inclusive Mental Health and Care Policy Dashboard to ensure sustainability and policy uptake of project outcomes.

Duration

1 January 2025 – 31 December 2028

48 months

Partnership

• White Research
• Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
• Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
• Koc University
• Kentro Erevnon Notioanatolikis Evropis Astiki Mi Kerdoskopiki Etaireiav (SEERC)
• Givmed Share medicine Share life
• Tsentar Za Mezhduetncheski Dialog I Tolerantnost Amalipe
• L’APDAT
• LGBT Support and Advocacy network Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee (LGBTI)
• Fundación para la Gestión de la Investigación en Salud de Sevilla (FISEVI)
• Zentralinstitut Fuer Seelische Gesundheitv (ZI)
• Q-Plan International Advisors PC (Q-Plan)
• National Centre for Youth Mental Health CLG (JIGSAW)
• European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL)
• Diesis Network (DIESIS)
• Stichting European Community Mental Health Service Providers Network (EUCOMS)
• Squaredev (SQUAR)

Contact

Clara Massé, Junior Policy Officer

Konstantina Leventi, Head of Policy

Funding

HORIZON Europe