Mental Health in Europe: the need for a common language, standard classification criteria and official communication. Four studies about communication in Mental Health.

Among the main objectives of the European Commission's current strategy 'Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013' there is the need to produce and distribute Health knowledge. Communicating scientific findings in the domain of Health in general and of Mental Health in particular is then crucial. Such a communication process involves researchers and general audience -including a) peers and medical staff, b) policymakers, c) journalists and d) general public - and it is actually the main job of scientists today. Effective communication of Mental Health research can protect the public from being misled and from any form of stigmatization, overthrow previous misinformed beliefs, influence public policy and lead to further progress and clinical applications. Through 4 studies we reflect upon the role of communication and its different facets in Mental Health research trying to understand which communication strategies should be adopted in Mental Health and for which challenges. In the STUDY 1 the REMAST toolkit for the REFINEMENT project is analysed as an example of classification and standards for Mental Health services in 9 European countries: Italy, Austria, France, England, Spain, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Romania. In the STUDY 2 the REFINEMENT Glossary is provided as an example of a multilingual tool to promote a common language for comparisons among Mental Health services. In the STUDY 3 we describe the survey on the usage of the Internet for Mental Health information seeking in French teenagers using the Fil Santé Jeunes website. Finally the STUDY 4 proposes the E-MentH Questionnaire, a multicenter study (France, Ireland, Italy, Spain) on young peoples’ usage and views on using the Internet for seeking information and support on Mental Health problems. Standardazing and classification tools for evaluating Mental Health Services, a common terminology when comparing different Mental Health systems and an exhaustive analysis of the usage of Internet for Mental Health information and advice are all aspects of the essential role of Communication studies in Mental Health.