Suicidal behaviour has been studied in Estonia extensively for almost 30 years

The Connected Health Cluster was joined by the Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute (hereinafter referred to as ERSI), which mainly deals with suicide prevention and mental health promotion. They hope to find partners in the cluster with whom they can create innovative solutions to support mental health.

Rainer Mere, Project Manager at ERSI, says that the institute is an organisation like no other in Estonia. “We are a small and flexible private institution that has been studying suicidal behaviour in depth for nearly 30 years,” explains Mere. They have managed to build a school of thought with extensive professional links mainly in Europe (WHO, European Commission, universities, institutes) but also globally as well as on a local level.

ERSI’s largest projects are currently related to funding by the European Commission, involving partners from many countries. “This is something we have done in previous years and will continue to do in the future,” says Mere. Over the years, ERSI has also worked closely with partners in Estonia (the Ministry of Social Affairs, the National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn University, the University of Tartu, etc.).

ERSI joined the cluster first and foremost with the aim to find partners with the desire and technical expertise to create new, innovative and digital solutions to support mental health, including suicidal behaviour and depression. “We have decades worth of professional experience, awareness and indispensable knowhow in the field of suicide that makes us a good partner,” assures Mere.

You can read more about ERSI on their website. See detailed information about ERSI here.