ESTABLISHING LINKS WITHIN REGIONAL COUNTRIES FOR IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES I

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS EUROPEAN DIVISION THE ROYAL COLLEGE TRAVELS OVERSEAS G.N. Christodoulou A. Douzenis N.G. Christodoulou Athens, Greece European Psychiatry 1.    Long tradition in teaching, research and clinical practice Diversity in in teaching, research and clinical practice Differences in allocating of funding for mental health amongst the various European countries Many psychiatric schools Differences in provision of psychiatric care 1. Institutional in the East 2. Community in the west 2. European Psychiatry      Differences in the perception of ethical issues and human rights among the various European countries Training in Psychiatry: Core curriculum developed by the European Union BUT Is it acceptable or applicable in every country? What is the training offered “really” in European Countries Need for cooperation and agreement on the best way of teaching future psychiatrists European Psychiatry - Challenges Hostilities between countries  Serbs – Croats  Greeks – Turks  English – Irish  Serbia – Albania  Russia – Chechnya  Moslems and Christian Serbs  Moslem and Christian Croats Language and cultural barriers European Psychiatry - Challenges   Gross differences in material wealth, medical facilities and income between countries Gross differences in the use of communication technology (internet etc)between countries Different status enjoyed by psychiatrists in different countries Working conditions for psychiatrists vary greatly between countries as well as within each country   European Psychiatry - Challenges    Different priorities WEST ethics new (expensive) drugs psychotherapies alliances in the community (social reintegration and rehabilitation) EAST lack of psychiatric medication poor resources for mental health treatment mainly in the hospitals other priorities (survival) European Psychiatry - Perspectives       Communication between psychiatric communities of the area (ie. Balkans, Nordic countries etc) Promoting joint meetings Production of consensus and position statements Protection of the rights of patients Promote ethical codes of practice throughout Europe Promotion of psychiatric reform in Europe European Psychiatry - Perspectives  Collaboration with other European Psychiatric Organizations European Zones of the WPA UEMS AEP ECNP European Division of the WHO