In recognition of the upcoming EU mental health awareness week (9-13 May), this week in our Beyond the Byline podcast we are asking: How has our mental health been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine? What support systems are in place for citizens facing mental health problems? Does stigma around the issue still exist, and how do we tackle it?

Together with Laura Marchetti, policy manager at Mental Health Europe and Clara Babef from EURACTIV France, we looked into the situation in Europe and the initiatives currently underway.

We also spoke about the release of Reporters Without Borders' 2022 Press Freedom Index - in particular, looking at the European countries where freedom of the press has declined this year. Which countries topped the table and which countries plunged?

To hear more, I spoke with EURACTIV’s Alice Taylor and Molly Killeen.