Center Amalipe launched a field study on the status and challenges facing mental health services in Veliko Tarnovo region

Center Amalipe has launched a field study examining the current state and key challenges of mental health services in Veliko Tarnovo Region. The study will be implemented with the support of mediators in the municipalities of Pavlikeni and Strazhitsa, as well as by Amalipe’s expert staff. It forms part of the activities under the Equicares project, which focuses on researching the mental health needs of residents in these municipalities.

The survey instruments have been coordinated with the Regional Health Inspectorate – Veliko Tarnovo. Data collection will be carried out through face-to-face interviews conducted in real time, with results to be compiled for analysis by the end of February. The study will include a total of 215 participants from three distinct target groups—Roma, other minority groups, and the majority population—across the selected municipalities. Participation is entirely voluntary and anonymous, and all information collected will be treated as strictly confidential and used exclusively for the purposes of the project.

A comparable study is being conducted in eight other countries—Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Greece, Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany—among different target groups. Based on the findings, Mental Health Support Laboratories will be established, and the support provided will be synthesized into practical, evidence-based models.

The Equicares project aims to identify the key problems and barriers individuals face in accessing mental health care. Its overarching objective is to develop recommendations for more effective and accessible mental health services, grounded in the experiences of current and potential service users. The project is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Programme.

Further information about the project is available at: https://amalipe.bg/portfolio/equicares-eng/