Tomasz Latos: Depression requires comprehensive action

It is estimated that in Poland about one and a half million people suffer from depression, most of them in working age. In this group, about 30 percent are people with the so-called drug-resistant depression. Can we say that it is a social problem and is it high on the list of priorities of the Parliamentary Health Committee?

Definitely high. We have a huge interest in mental health issues in the Health Committee. We have a permanent Mental Health Subcommittee. And so, regardless of its work, we deal with this issue in the forum of the entire committee. I am aware that there are more and more of these problems due to various civilization challenges and external factors. And you have to take into account that the problem of depression will increase every year. Of course, one should also look at the problem of drug-resistant depression and other therapeutic methods. I think that the implementation of appropriate therapies, new drug therapies, paradoxically, may be the simplest. It is much more difficult to organize proper and good care for patients for various reasons, such as staff shortages, especially the lack of child psychiatrists. So it is a challenge not for the coming months, but for the years to come. The more that all external elements influencing our mental state will increase in the coming years. You have to take this into account. I think that there is a need for joint action of politicians, ministers, ministries, but also local government officials who also have a role to play here, and patient organizations. It's time for all of us to act. It is time for the NHF to act - I mean a good valuation of the procedures. There are many threads here.