Nurturing positive mental health among citizens of all ages should be a priority for all governments, as a measure of societal well-being. However, despite the importance of positive mental health for society; reports from the WHO find that, “neuropsychiatric disorders account for 26% of the burden of disease in the EU; accounting for up to 40% of years lived with disability, with depression as the main cause.” In addition, this report estimates that up to 50% of chronic sick leave from the workplace in Europe are due to depression and anxiety. The cost of these depressive disorders and mental ill health is estimated at €170 billion per annum to the economy of the EU-27. 

Families are the bedrock of our society. Families provide safety and security for young children, care for the elderly; a springboard to launch your life and a safety net to fall back into if it doesn’t quite work out. Family learning is effective in having a significant and lasting impact on children’s learning, giving them greater confidence and self-belief (NIACE, 2016). Family learning also brings a sense of solidarity, cohesion and stimulation to adults and children who learn together. However, research tells us that in families where parents suffer with mental ill-health, children are at a higher risk of developing mental illnesses than other children. While risks can be inherited through their genes, most of this risk comes from an unpredictable and inconsistent family environment that can contribute to the mental ill-health of young people. When 20% of Europe’s population experience depression, anxiety, and poor mental health, it is consistent to estimate that mental health issues affect a significant proportion of European families. As such, the primary motivation behind the TAMUS project is to address a need to support European families to manage their mental health.