Master plan for the care of the mentally ill required

15.11.2017 16:08

The President of the German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology (DGPPN) e. V., Prof. Dr. Arno Deister, calls on politicians to develop a political master plan for dealing with mental illnesses. These illnesses are “among the very central challenges of our society,” says Deister, who is one of the speakers at this year’s conference “Mental Health 2030 – Schizophrenia: CareThinking”.

Schizophrenia is one of the most expensive psychiatric illnesses in Germany, with around 30% of the treatment costs incurred in the first year. The direct and indirect costs are comparable to those of common somatic diseases or are even higher.

Schizophrenic disorders can occur at any age. The first episode usually occurs between the ages of 18 and 25. This is an important and decisive age in life: school, vocational training and starting a family are characteristic of this phase of life. A diagnosis of schizophrenia can have a lasting impact on life and future planning – or even destroy it. An early start to therapy is therefore crucial for the success of the treatment and the prognosis. 

Qualified care for people suffering from schizophrenia can only be provided by multi-professional teams and across sectors. In addition to pharmacotherapy, there are a variety of psychotherapeutic interventions such as talk and cognitive behavioral therapy as well as sociotherapeutic interventions, to name just a few approaches. These offers are supplemented by community-based help offers. In order to coordinate this, professional case management is essential.

Care offers and structures must be developed in a differentiated manner, e.g. B. varies depending on rural or urban regions. These criteria, which are also described in the DGPPN practice guidelines “Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders”, are the topic of the conference “Mental Health 2030 – Schizophrenia: CareThinking”.

The required master plan could help to develop and implement suitable and efficient care structures, offers and processes.

The conference on November 30, 2017 in Berlin offers the opportunity to think about and discuss the requirements and key points for better care.

Mental Health 2030 – Schizophrenia: CareThinking
Organized by Lundbeck GmbH and Otsuka Pharma GmbH
Contact: [email protected]
030-49855031