Medical Association Fast therapy for the mentally ill

Medical Association: Faster offers for the mentally ill

06/28/2014

Often people with mental illness in Germany have to wait months for a therapy place. The medical association wants to improve the care of those affected now. Patients should get a suitable therapy offer faster.

Month long waiting for a therapy place
In Germany, people with mental disorders often have to wait several months for a treatment place. But in the future, from the point of view of the medical profession, there should be more suitable therapy offers for them. As Cornelia Goesmann, representative of the board of the Federal Medical Association for questions of medical psychotherapy, according to a message from the news agency dpa said, the family doctor has a key role. The general practitioner demanded on Friday in Hanover that the competence for counseling must already be trained in the study. The GP should also, in contrast to previously, short-term or crisis intervention with the health insurance settle.

Number of registered mental illness is increasing
The number of registered mental illnesses is increasing in this country; among other things because more and more people dare to seek help with mental problems. For this reason, the legislators have reformed the requirements planning and may set up more psychotherapists since mid-2013 than in the past. Nevertheless, some patients, especially in rural areas, still have to wait months for a place of treatment with a doctor or psychologist.

Way out of misery
According to experts, agreements such as „AOK contract for depression and burn-out“ be a way out of misery in Lower Saxony. This agreement aims to allow members of the fund to begin treatment within 14 days of the diagnosis of a mental illness. Goesmann announced that currently also other large health insurance plans similar contracts.

Lack of qualified therapists
For some mental patients, such as those with obsessive-compulsive disorder, there is also the problem that there is a shortage of therapists qualified to do so. Therefore often obsessive-compulsive receive no or only insufficient treatment. Even Antonia Peters, CEO of the German Society for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, had just a few months ago criticized the problem of long waiting times for specialists: „Some patients are told to call again for an appointment in a year.“ Patients are supported by her and colleagues in the doctor's search and to get treatment in time. (Ad)