The first warm-up event of the EQUICARES Smart Health Labs (SHLs) introduced a set of initiatives aimed at supporting the co-design of inclusive, community-driven mental health solutions across different European contexts. The SHLs provide a collaborative framework that brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, and local stakeholders to explore barriers and opportunities in mental health access and service delivery. Within this framework, the EQUICARES Smart Health Lab (SHL) in Thessaloniki is an initiative led by the South-East European Research Centre (SEERC) with a focus on improving mental health access for vulnerable population groups.

The SHL targets older adults (65+), migrant communities, and refugees, with particular attention to elderly women within these groups. The initiative is part of a broader effort to co-develop inclusive, accessible, and community-driven mental health solutions in collaboration with local stakeholders.

As part of the SHL development process, a co-creation workshop was recently held at the City College premises in Thessaloniki. The workshop brought together local stakeholders, community representatives, and potential end-users of the services the Lab aims to support. Its purpose was to introduce the vision and next steps of the Smart Health Lab and to actively involve participants in shaping its identity, including discussions around its name and visual identity such as the logo.

The Thessaloniki SHL addresses significant barriers faced by its target groups in accessing mental health services. These include mobility constraints, digital exclusion, language and cultural barriers, stigma, and fragmented healthcare provision. At a systemic level, the initiative also responds to challenges such as an unstructured primary healthcare system, limited digitalisation and data availability in mental health services, and gaps in culturally sensitive care.

Through a participatory methodology, EQUICARES will combine focus groups and direct engagement with local communities to better understand mental health needs, identify barriers and enablers to care, and co-create and test innovative solutions. The approach ensures that solutions are grounded in real-life experiences and adapted to the local context.