European psychiatry: needs, challenges and structures.

European psychiatry stays now on the crossroad due to conceptual challenges, drifts of political power from the national to the European level, the current economical situation, arising ethical concerns and an emphasis on patients rights. The latter challenge mainly the structure of mental health care demanding a more important role of patients and families. The needs of harmonisation of research, educational, legislative, and political activities in the field of mental health on the European level are briefly discussed.