New Video: How EQUICARES is shaping equitable mental healthcare across Europe

We’re delighted to share the release of the official promotional video from the EQUICARES project, a major European research initiative that Jigsaw is proud to be part of. This video brings to life the vision, ambition, and impact of EQUICARES, highlighting our shared commitment to improving access to mental healthcare for people in vulnerable situations across Europe.

What Is EQUICARES?

EQUICARES is a four-year Horizon Europe project dedicated to making mental health and care services more accessible, inclusive, and equitable, especially for people who face persistent barriers to support.

The project brings together 18 partners from 9 countries, spanning research organisations, service providers, public authorities and advocacy groups, all working together to:

• Understand barriers to mental healthcare access for vulnerable groups (including young people, migrants, older people, LGBTQI+ communities, people with disabilities, and those experiencing social or economic disadvantage).

• Pilot innovative solutions co-designed with communities through grassroots “Smart Health Labs” in eight regions across seven countries.

• Use cutting-edge methods like digital ethnography, advanced frameworks, and an AI-based Assistant to support mental health literacy, inclusion and digital skills.

• Support policy change through evidence, cost analysis and tools like the Inclusive Mental Health & Care Policy Dashboard and an Atlas of innovative solutions for policymakers.

The promotional video gives a clear introduction to why this work matters and how it’s unfolding, from research to real-world impact.

Jigsaw’s Role in EQUICARES

Jigsaw’s Research & Evaluation team plays a central part in EQUICARES, bringing our expertise in mental health research, health systems evaluation and data analysis to a Europe-wide effort to understand how vulnerable populations experience care.

As part of the project:

• We’re co-designing data collection tools and contributing to analytical frameworks that map barriers, enablements and opportunities across different contexts.

• Our team led a dedicated Cultural Mediator and Research Team Training workshop to strengthen partners’ capacity to conduct ethical, inclusive, and culturally sensitive data collection and engagement with vulnerable groups.

• We are actively involved in project steering and knowledge exchange, helping ensure that EQUICARES’ research approaches are ethically robust, evidence-based and informed by real lived experiences.