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Of: TT
Published:
February 1 | Photo: Suicide Zero
Suicide Zero Secretary General Rickard Bracken finds it troubling that psychiatry managers claim that there is no increase in resources for psychiatry, even though various reports indicate that the need for support and help from psychiatry is increasing.
Although mental illness leave has increased dramatically during the pandemic, resources for psychiatry are not increasing. Rather, a survey of psychiatric directors, which Suicide Zero has conducted, shows that there is a risk of displacement effects.
With growing concern, the organization has seen reports of the rise in mental illness during the pandemic replace one another. Both Bris and Mind’s Senior Line are receiving more and more calls from children and seniors who feel mentally ill, sleep poorly and are anxious.
In addition, Previa analyzes, which show that the number of people on sick leave has increased fivefold, and a study by the Swedish Public Health Agency indicates that people on sick leave are eight times more likely to commit suicide .
Global issue
A study carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 130 countries shows that the pandemic has had devastating effects on people’s mental health, thus highlighting the need for countries to start investing more to help the sick.
– There are so many different reports that something is happening in society that is causing mental illness to increase. It is worrying and when asked by managers in psychiatry, they say there is no increase in resources, neither during the pandemic nor in the long term, says Rickard Bracken, general secretary of the nonprofit organization Suicide Zero, which works to reduce the number of suicides.
Suicide Zero has conducted a survey with directors of psychiatry. Seven out of ten estimated that more people will need psychiatric care and municipal support measures as a result of the pandemic. At the same time, only one of the psychiatry directors surveyed claimed that resources for psychiatry had increased. Sixty percent of managers also saw that the care debt that arose due to the pandemic affects psychiatric patients negatively.
– The most important thing is to make sure that groups that had a difficult situation before the crisis are well supported, both during and after the crisis. Otherwise, this will lead to very serious consequences, and in the worst case, suicides will increase, says Rickard Bracken.
Outreach work
It lacks political disposition to strengthen preventive work for people with addiction problems and the need for support from psychiatry.
– They don’t put enough force on them and we caution against that, says Rickard Bracken.
He is concerned that the pressure to seek psychiatric care has decreased during the pandemic, while it is obvious that more people are feeling unwell.
– Then you need to seek out those who need help. It may be about offering a variety of digital initiatives and ensuring that social services further help those who are already vulnerable.
Also, according to Rickard Bracken, early support is needed for those who lose their jobs.
– Here, a variety of efforts are needed by the employer, the union, primary care and sometimes also social services and psychiatry. We have so many signals that we must act at an early stage. You can’t wait a year.
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