What do psychiatrists expect from the health minister? The list is long...

Measures taken under the National Mental Health Program over the past thirteen years have led to improvements in the quality of treatment of mental disorders in Poland. Unfortunately, a number of external factors, e.g. the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increased demands on the individual associated with rapidly accelerating technological advances, are leading to an increased need for comprehensive prevention and treatment of mental disorders, PTP points out, and calls for further active involvement of the Ministry of Health in reforming psychiatric care in Poland.

PTP highlights the following key areas that require action in the near term:

(a) an increase in funding for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders in adults (including seniors) and in the population of children and adolescents to at least 6% of the total cost of health care services, which will allow measures to be taken in accordance with the rules of art and based on the actual cost of the treatment interventions used;

(b) Urgent implementation of the second level of reform in the treatment and prevention of mental disorders in adults (specialized programs);

(c) introduction of health care regulations always taking into account the population of people with mental disorders without excluding it (example: services provided by a psychiatric specialist do not belong to outpatient specialized care and are a separate entity. They require the addition of legal provisions in the system, and the prescription by psychiatrists of free medicines for seniors 65+ and for children and adolescents under 18 years of age is impossible). In the opinion of the General Board of the Polish Psychiatric Association, existing regulations hinder access to universal and equal health care and contribute to the stigmatization of both people with mental disorders and psychiatric doctors;

(d) special attention to the important principles related to the secrecy of treatment of people with mental disorders and the prevention of stigmatization;

(e) to continue active efforts in the area of reform of treatment and prevention of mental disorders in the child and adolescent population, including the development of the first, second and third levels of reform;

(f) Support for the further development of Mental Health Centers (the first level of adult mental disorder treatment reform);

(g) Providing funds for the training of high-quality medical personnel (medical specialists in psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, psychotherapy, child and adolescent psychotherapy and addiction, active participation of the government side in the development of legal regulations for adult psychotherapy);

h) cooperation with national consultants and provincial consultants;

(i) cooperation with scientific societies and non-governmental organizations.

The Polish Psychiatric Association hopes that the Health Ministry will quickly resume legislative work on amending the Law on Mental Health Protection, the Law on the Profession of Psychotherapist, and give an institutional framework, under the aegis of the Health Ministry, to expert and inter-ministerial teams involved in improving the mental health of citizens.

In view of the growing challenges of civilization and the increase in demand for psychiatric care activities, we request that this area be given the highest priority category and that guarantees be provided for the personnel and financial priorities needed for the effective implementation of the National Mental Health Program.

The PTP General Board hopes that organizational and personnel changes regarding the organization of psychiatric treatment will be consulted with the Polish Psychiatric Association, and assures the Minister of Health of its willingness to cooperate fully in implementing measures to achieve the long-awaited improvement in the mental condition of Polish women and men.

The letter was signed by Prof. Dominika Dudek, president of the PTP ZG, from Dr. Michal Mielimąka, secretary of the PTP ZG.

Source: Polish Psychiatric Association