The map of Europe according to how much governments care about mental health

Every year, World Mental Health Day is celebrated on 10 October, and this year's theme is psychological first aid and the support people can provide to those in distress.

Psychological first aid is the support that is first offered to those who experience trauma, crises and distress.

The Economist's Intelligence Unit keeps an index of 30 European countries which measured their policy commitments and initiatives around the subject.

As the below graphic by Statista shows, on the latest iteration of the index the UK ranked second with an overall score of 84.1 out of 100:

Germany topped the index, while the UK was followed by Denmark.

The report noted that policy towards those with mental illness has seen a steady improvement, bolstered by a generally supportive political environment.

The report said of the UK:

Current policy is strong, and aims to create a 'parity of esteem' between mental and physical health services (ie, giving equal value to mental and physical health).

Thirty eight per cent of residents in the EU, or around 165 million people, are affected by mental illness at some point in any given year.

More: Meet the man who started #itsokaytotalk: the male mental health campaign sweeping across Britain