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Now or never: prioritize mental health

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MIND recommendations for Corona policy in mental health care

In recent months MIND has investigated the consequences of the Corona crisis for people with mental health problems and their loved ones. With a view to a new wave of contamination and possibly further tightening of measures, we share our recommendations for the future. MIND demands a balance between the necessity of the measures to limit corona virus infections and the consequences of these measures on the well-being of people and society. At the beginning of September, we already made an appeal to develop a special Corona policy for young people and youth. Now that the infections are on the rise again, all attention is shifted back to the disease itself. MIND advocates Corona rules that give room to continue daily and social life. We must now invest in the prevention of psychological complaints and in facilities that contribute quickly and tailored to recovery.

Informal networks are especially important in exceptional circumstances such as this Corona crisis for people to survive. It is crucial to stimulate and support these informal networks and aid relationships. Creative, sporty and relaxing activities contribute to people’s mental resilience. In the information provision, emphasize not only what people are no longer allowed to do, but especially also what they can do.

Capacity versus demand

In addition to prevention, we will also have to focus on recovery. The Corona crisis has led to an increase in psychological complaints, both in people with existing conditions and in people who experience complaints for the first time. Extra capacity will have to be added to mental health care. At the same time, it is very important not to medicalise psychological complaints as a result of corona too quickly and to look carefully when lighter or other forms of help are possible. Social problems, such as loneliness or loss of work and income, require appropriate help and support that does not always have to come from mental health care. A restorative intake offers the solution in these cases.

Fast and recovery-oriented intake

For corona, mental health care was already struggling to answer the demand for psychological help, according to the long waiting times. The growing demand as a result of Corona makes additional structural measures necessary. MIND calls for the large-scale restorative intake to be applied: this intake addresses the broad request for help from the client, looks at his own network and resilience and also guides people to facilities outside mental health care, such as recovery workshops and self-management centers. This intake can take place quickly and thus prevents problems from getting worse. Social contact is especially important for the well-being of people. That is why we must invest in informal networks and social support systems to maintain low-threshold contact with vulnerable people and to guarantee extra support for people whose feelings of fear due to the corona and the measures increase.

Direction versus self-direction

A crisis requires clear central direction; however, this can go against the principles of self-management and individual customization. Now that we know more about the virus and are no longer surprised, we can better measure the scope (and therefore the impact) of the measures and give more space to participation, co-decision and own initiative and responsibility. Particularly in a period of major changes and uncertainty, it is important to adhere to the principle of shared decision making and to continue to discuss the design of healthcare with the client and close relatives. In the field of communication and shared decision making, mental health care must really do better than last spring. This also applies at a collective level. Where family and client councils were often insufficiently involved in the first phase of the crisis, it is now possible to do this properly.

Research by MIND

At the end of March this year, MIND started a survey among its own supporters, mental health clients and close relatives, into the consequences of Corona and the crisis measures. Between the end of March and mid-June we questioned our regular mental health panel three times; the number of respondents was about 1,000 each time. In addition, we distributed a questionnaire among the members of our member organizations and we conducted in-depth research among client councils, family councils and self-management and recovery initiatives. This autumn, MIND will hold a new poll among its mental health panel and conduct in-depth research into resilience during the Corona period.

Source: MIND

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