The current climate of fiscal austerity poses significant challenges for the health of populations across Europe. Deteriorating social conditions make some groups of individuals especially vulnerable to illness and have the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities in health and in access to healthcare. These challenges are occurring alongside other significant trends, such as: the integration of health and social services; a growing emphasis on individual responsibility for health and lifestyles; the pharmaceuticalization of everyday life; and the increasing deterioration in the mental...