Equicare Project 

The Horizon Europe project EQUICARES – Community-driven Healthcare Access and Mental Health Promotion for Inclusive, Equitable and Resilient European Societies aims to improve access to sustainable mental health and care services for people in vulnerable situations across Europe. The project addresses structural and social inequalities in healthcare systems by combining scientific research, co-creation approaches, and policy-oriented solutions.

EQUICARES applies innovative methodologies to assess barriers to care and to design effective responses. These include an advanced application of the Levesque framework for evaluating accessibility, computational social science techniques for reaching hard-to-reach populations, and economic cost-analysis methods to assess the impact of interventions. Through digital ethnography and multi-dimensional evaluation, the project identifies and analyses innovative mental health solutions, compiling them into a dedicated “Atlas on Mental Health and Care Innovative Solutions” for policymakers and practitioners.

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The project is implemented through pilot actions in eight regions across seven European countries. In each area, EQUICARES establishes participatory “Smart Health Labs” that bring together service users, professionals, community representatives, and policymakers to co-design and test practical solutions to improve accessibility, digital literacy, and service integration. An AI-based assistant is also developed to support mental health literacy and to facilitate access to information and services.

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To ensure long-term impact, EQUICARES evaluates the social and economic effects of the piloted solutions and analyses the “cost of inaction.” Successful models are replicated in additional regions, and the project results are consolidated into the “Inclusive Mental Health & Care Policy Dashboard,” which supports evidence-based decision-making and sustainable policy adoption.

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The EQUICARES consortium consists of 18 partners from 9 European countries, including universities, research institutes, civil society organisations, and healthcare networks. This multidisciplinary partnership ensures strong links with vulnerable communities and key stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

Dissemination and communication are central elements of EQUICARES. The project makes extensive use of an official website and social media channels to share objectives, activities, events, and results, promoting stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange at European level.

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Through its focus on inclusive innovation, community participation, and evidence-based policy support, EQUICARES contributes to shaping mental health systems that are more accessible, equitable, and resilient. SERENA and EQUICARES share common objectives and mutually reinforce European efforts to improve access to essential services for vulnerable groups.