World Federation for Mental Health
https://www.wfmh.global
World Federation for Mental Health Statement
for the WHO 70th World Health Assembly
with reference to Agenda Item 13.7: Promoting the health of refugees and migrants
The World Health Organization’s recent shift in approach to the health care of refugees and migrants from humanitarian-based care to an approach based on broader health systems offers an opportunity to integrate mental health care into services.
Given the magnitude of the crisis caused by forced displacement, emergency care and health systems-based care will both be needed. The World Federation for Mental Health supports efforts to integrate mental health care in overall health care wherever possible.
Special attention should be paid to those vulnerable people who had a serious mental illness before a regional crisis took place. Their special needs are often neglected if they become refugees or displaced persons—but given the proportion of people with mental health conditions in general populations, the proportion must also be high among refugees and displaced persons. The numbers will be made higher by the displacement experience.
The situation of migrants in the Middle East, in southern Europe and in Africa presents an enormous challenge. Despite the many priorities in providing care, and the constraints required by budgets, mental health care should be included in assistance.
Planning should take account of the health of women, adolescents, children and the elderly. Many of them have experienced violence in crisis situations. Children in particular may be exposed to a lifetime of mental health consequences.
The Report of the High-Level Working Group on the Health and Human Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents, newly released by the World Health Organization and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasizes a goal of achieving the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health for marginalized people such as migrants and refugees.
Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action
The final version of the new Charter on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action is available on the Internet: humanitariandisabilitycharter.org.
The Charter was drawn up by some 70 organizations and agencies before the UN’s first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul (23/24 May 2016), to draw attention to the need to include people with disabilities in responses to humanitarian emergencies. Their special requirements are often overlooked.
The Charter asks providers of humanitarian assistance in emergencies to be fully inclusive of people with disabilities in their policies, planning and services. They should alert their staff members to the diverse needs of persons with disabilities, and include them or their organizations’ representatives in decision-making and planning.
The Charter is not a legally binding document and does not affect current obligations, but it is an important new statement of principles. Its website includes an easy way for governments and organizations to endorse its provisions.
WFMH 2017 Congress in New Delhi
https://www.wfmh.global/events/world-congress-2017/
Promoting mental wellness at work
http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/promoting-mental-wellness-work
Six in 10 of employees who say they have depression hide the condition from their employers, a survey by Silver Ribbon Singapore (SRS) shows.
Reasons include fear of putting jobs at risk (23.4 per cent) and feeling employers would not understand (12.8 per cent).
Dr Lee Cheng, president of SRS, a non-profit mental health advocacy organisation, said at the Silver Ribbon Workplace Emotional Health and Wellness Summit on Friday: "There is still a stigma in society and some degree of self-stigmatisation."
The stigmais amplified by the mental health query found on most job application forms, he told The New Paper.
The Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices state that job application forms should only ask for relevant information that assesses an applicant's suitability for the job.
Said Dr Lee: "When society becomes more accepting, (people with mental illnesses) will be comfortable declaring their conditions on their own."
Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said at the event: "Employers need to invest in mental health promotion because the mental well-being of employees have a direct impact on the workplace."
He said a mental health-friendly workplace can raise morale, teamwork and communication, and reduce staff turnover and the cost of training and recruitment.
The event saw 32 organisations pledging to support workplace mental health.
Ms Low Wan Ve, 43, human resource director at National Council of Social Service, which employs people with mental illnesses, said it has support groups and counsellors to promote inclusiveness.
Ms Naama Ben-Yehoyada, 44, director of Bailey Balfour, a consultancy firm that took the pledge, said: "By being supportive, employers can... boost productivity and performance."
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2017
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE
https://www.wfmh.global/wmhd-2017/
October 10th 2017 marks an anniversary: We come together to celebrate World Mental Health Day for the 25th time! World Federation for Mental Health founded the awareness day in 1992 and since then people all over the world are holding events, making announcements and celebrating #WorldMentalHealthDay
Mental health issues have been shown to increase employee absenteeism, lower rates of productivity and increased costs. This year’s packet will contribute to taking mental health out of the shadows in the work place so that people and companies have the tools to help employees and increase the overall mental wellbeing of their workforce.
Dolores Britvic
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dolores_Britvic
Depresija u porastu, bolesna svaka dvadeseta osoba
http://hr.n1info.com/a261718/Lifestyle/Lifestyle/Depresija-u-porastu-bolesna-svaka-dvadeseta-osoba.html
Potpredsjednica Hrvatskog psihijatrijskog društva Dolores Britvić upozorava da je depresija u porastu, što potvrđuju podaci Međunarodne federacije za mentalno zdravlje (World Federation for Mental Health) koji pokazuju da je u prethodnoj godini od nje bolovao svaki dvadeseti čovjek na svijetu.
Britvić, koja je bila predsjednica Organizacijskog odbora I. Hrvatskog kongresa o psihotraumi, održanog prošlog tjedna u Splitu, u razgovoru za Hinu ističe da depresija vrlo štetno utječe na radno funkcioniranje i produktivnost stanovništva, a smatra se da svakoga dana u svijetu oko 3000 ljudi počini samoubojstvo zbog depresije.
Depresivni ljudi neka potraže pomoć
"Ljudima bih poručila da potraže pomoć ako osjećaju smetnje jer im liječnici uvijek mogu pomoći. Postoje različiti načini za pomoć, ponekad je dovoljna kratkotrajna psihoterapija, ponekad lijekovi, ponekad dugotrajni psihoterapijski tretmani, ali nikada ne odustajemo", kaže Britvić.
Na kongresu u Splitu govorila je o tome kako se traumatski događaji, posebno u djetinjstvu, mogu dovesti u vezu s psihotičnim simptomima ili psihotičnim poremećajima, uključujući i shizofreniju.
Iako izgleda da postoji povezanost između trauma u djetinjstvu i kasnijih poremećaja, dosadašnja istraživanja nisu jasno pokazala uzročno - posljedičnu vezu, što znači da utjecaj imaju i drugi čimbenici koje je teško kontrolirati, prvenstveno genetski.
Traumatski događaj, kao i genetski i okolinski utjecaji mogu učiniti osobu ranjivom za razvoj svih vrsta psihijatrijskih poremećaja, uključujući i psihozu, a kao važan psihološki mehanizam u reakciji na traumu Britvić navodi nesposobnost integracije traumatskih sjećanja, povezivanja sjećanja i osjećaja, odnosno zaboravljivost traumatskih događaja.
Uslijed traumatskih sjećanja može doći do disocijacije - složenog psihofiziološkog procesa koji potiskuje traume i čini ih nedostupnim našem sjećanju. No, i potisnuta traumatska sjećanja mogu utjecati na naše osjećaje i ponašanje.
"Disocijacija ponekad, primjerice u sanjarenju, može biti normalna ali i patološka kod višestruke ličnosti, te može biti promatrana kao stanje ili kao proces", rekla je Britvić.
Kod primarnog nedostatka sposobnosti za povezivanje, senzorni i emocionalni aspekti traumatskog događaja ne mogu se integrirati u memoriju već se taj dio sjećanja drži izvan svjesnog. Na kliničkom planu manifestiraju se intruzivnim sjećanjima, što znači spontanim nevoljnim prisjećanjima traumatskog događaja, noćnim morama i "flashbackovima" koji su dio kliničke slike PTSP-a, rekla je Britvić.
Dugotrajna skrb za oboljele od PTSP-a
Stotinjak stručnjaka iz cijelog svijeta proteklog je tjedna u Splitu tri dana razgovaralo o psihotraumi, utjecaju psihotraumatoloških događaja na cjelokupni život i funkcioniranje pojedinca.
Obrađivali su način na koji trauma djeluje na pojedinca, govorili o povezanosti utjecajapsihotraume na cjelokupno zdravlje, koje sve psihološke i psihijatrijske poremećaje može izazvati, na koji način treba pristupiti liječenju i koji su novi modaliteti za liječenje i rehabilitaciju oboljelih.
O metodama rehabilitacije za oboljele od PTSP-a govorili su liječnici Klinike za psihijatriju Vrapče u Zagrebu, koji su ustvrdili kako veliki broj oboljelih ima ozbiljne poteškoće u funkcioniranju u svakodnevnom životu, radu i uključivanju u život društvene zajednice, zbog čega postoji potreba za dugotrajnom psihijatrijskom i zdravstvenom skrbi o njima.
Povod za održavanje kongresa bila je 15 obljetnica osnutka Regionalnog centra za psihotraumu u Splitu, koji su Ministarstvo branitelja i KBC Split osnovali 2002. godine. Kako je prethodno donesen Nacionalni program za pružanje psihosocijalne pomoći žrtvama rata isti su centri osnovani u još tri regije, sa sjedištima u Zagrebu, Rijeci i Osijeku.
Najvažnija im je djelatnost bio rad s ratnim veteranima i članovima njihovih obitelji, a kako su u to vrijeme imali i socijalnog radnika pružali su elemente psihosocijalne pomoći i edukacije zdravstvenih radnika, te poticali znanstveni i istraživački rad.