PURPOSE: The current COVID-19 pandemic confronts psychiatric patients and mental health services with unique and severe challenges. METHODS: In order to identify these trans-national challenges across Europe, an ad-hoc survey was conducted among 23 experts, each answering for one European or aligned country. RESULTS: A number of important themes and issues were raised for the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and mental health services, barriers to service provision and future consequences. A number of key issues were reported by colleagues across several jurisdictions, even though these were at different stages of their national epidemics. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, we articulate some important learnings from the early stages of the COVID-19 European pandemic, and highlight key considerations for all countries' mental health services as the current pandemic develops and for future pandemics.

Agence de Coopération Scientifique Afrique Luxembourg et Europe et LEPS Laboratoire Education et Pratiques en Santé Paris 13 Université Sorbonne Paris Nord Paris France

Center for Social and Pedagogical Support Kepsipi Korydallos Greece

Centre de Terapia Interfamiliar and Mental Health Association Elx Spain

Centre Neuro Psychiatrique St Martin Dave Namur Belgium

Centre Ressource Régional de Psychiatrie du Sujet Agé Université de Paris Issy les Moulineaux France

Département des Sciences de la Santé Publique et de la Motricité Haute Ecole de la Province de Namur Namur Belgium

Department of Clinical Neuro and Developmental Psychology Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Mental Health Amsterdam The Netherlands

Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine Section of Psychiatry University of Pisa Unicamillus University of Rome and Brain Research Foundation Lucca Italy

Department of Humanities The IM Sechenov 1st Moscow State Medical University Moscow Russia

Department of Occupational Therapy Mental Health Services Mount Carmel Hospital Attard Malta

Department of Psychiatry Akureyri Hospital Akureyri Iceland

Department of Psychiatry Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research and Implementation Hospital Gaziantep Turkey

Department of Psychiatry University of Rostock Rostock Germany

Department of Psychology Maynooth University National University of Ireland Maynooth Ireland

Department of Radiation Psychoneurology Institute for Clinical Radiology State Institution National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine

Department of Rehabilitation Psychiatry Medical University of Silesia Katowice Poland

Faculty of Educational Science Psychology and Social Sciences Aurel Vlaicu University Arad Romania

Info Zenter Demenz Luxembourg Luxembourg

La Source School of Nursing Sciences University of Sciences Western Switzerland HES SO Lausanne Switzerland

Medical Sciences Department iBiMED University of Aveiro Aveiro Portugal

Occupational Therapy Department Ariel University and EJ Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities University of Haifa Haifa Israel

Private Psychiatric Practice Brussels and Luxembourg Brussels Belgium

Psychiatric Hospital Bohnice Prague Czech Republic

Psychology Department Middlesex University London UK

Seurakuntaopisto Pieksämäki Finland

Södra Älvsborgs Sjukhus Vuxenpsykiatrisk Klinik Borås Växel Sweden

References provided by Crossref.org