Who is this guideline intended for?
The model and guidelines for assessing mental health impacts are intended for use across all administrative sectors of municipalities and wellbeing service counties as part of the assessment of health and wellbeing impacts. Mental health impact assessment can also be used in central government when preparing legislation, policies, and programmes.
Why should mental health impacts be assessed?
Municipalities are legally obliged to assess how their decisions affect residents’ wellbeing and health. Wellbeing service counties must also assess how their decisions and solutions affect the wellbeing and health of different target groups.
Residents’ mental health and wellbeing are influenced by decisions and actions across all administrative sectors. Promoting and supporting mental health requires that mental health considerations are considered not only in social and health care decisions within wellbeing service counties, but also in municipal decisions related to education, housing, environmental policy, community building, and sustainable development.
Objectives of the Mental Health Impact Assessment
The purpose of the Mental Health Impact Assessment (MHIA) is to evaluate the potential positive and/or negative effects of decisions and measures on mental health. The mental health impacts of individual decisions can be assessed by population group, or at the level of a community, municipality, or region. It is important to identify impacts on different population groups, such as older people (e.g., access to services, public transport).
In addition to the general objectives of impact assessment (such as openness, transparency, and participation), MHIA aims to:
- increase understanding and provide information to decision-makers, and stakeholders (e.g., residents) about how different measures affect the mental health and wellbeing of various groups, communities, municipalities, or regions
- change planning practices and solutions so that they support and promote mental health
- increase and strengthen the positive impacts of decisions on mental health and wellbeing
- prevent or reduce harmful impacts on mental health and wellbeing
- improve opportunities to monitor and evaluate the achievement of goals related to mental health promotion, prevention of mental health disorders, treatment, and rehabilitation.
How is the assessment carried out?
The process begins with identifying the need for assessment—when it is recognised that a matter under preparation may have impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Next, the schedule and participants of the assessment are defined. The following phase involves examining the current situation and the alternatives that would change it.
To support the assessment, it is important to identify information needs and collect the necessary data using predefined indicators.
Based on the collected information, the impacts of different alternatives on mental health and wellbeing are assessed. If necessary, additional information is gathered by involving and consulting various stakeholders. In the final phase, the alternatives are compared, and a decision is made. After the decision, it is important to communicate the decision and its rationale, and to monitor and retrospectively assess how the impacts have materialised.
What is needed for a successful mental health impact assessment?
- Clear articulation of what is being assessed and correct use of concepts
- Adequate time and financial resources
- Participation from different sectors of the municipality or wellbeing service county
- A clearly defined target group
- Consideration of both short- and long-term impacts
- Consideration of both positive and negative, direct and indirect impacts
- Assessment based on knowledge and stakeholder participation
- A sufficiently comprehensive and feasible assessment process applied across all municipal or wellbeing service county decisions.
