Mental health in the Czech Republic: current problems, trends and future developments
| Pages | 43-47 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200600018 |
| Date | 01 June 2006 |
| Published date | 01 June 2006 |
| Author | Ivan David,Vladimír Kebza,Ivo Paclt,Jiří Raboch,Jaroslav Volf |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
The Czech Republic suffers many of the problems reported in other Central European and Eastern
European countries with respect to the care, treatment and prevention of mental ill health. Most
psychiatric care is provided in long-stay hospitals and the transition to a community-based service has
yet to be made. Mental health services suffer from chronic under-investment and there is a lack of
mental health legislation protecting patients’ rights and autonomy.The pressures of transition to a
capitalist economy have brought their own problems,in the form of increased rates of addicitions,
suicide, and other mental health problems related to social,policitical and economic instability, and
there is a pressing need to address the position of mental health within public health services.
Mental health in the Czech
Republic: current problems,
trends and future developments
Ivan David
Psychiatrist
Psychiatric hospital,
Prague
Vladimír Kebza
Psychologist
National Institute of
Public Health,Prague
Ivo Paclt
Psychiatrist
Psychiatric Clinic of the
First Medical Faculty
Charles
University/Private
Outpatients Psychiatric
Clinic, Prague
Jir˘íRaboch
Psychiatrist
Psychiatric Clinic of the
First Medical Faculty
Charles University,
Prague
Jaroslav Volf
Public health specialist
National Institute of
Public Health,Prague
Correspondence to:
Vladimír Kebza
National Institute of
Public Health
Srobarova 48
100 42 Prague 10
Czech Republic
kebza@szu.cz
Key words
Czech Republic
mental ill health
mental health
services
transition
public health
PROFILE
43
Itis difficult to provide an accurate overview of
public mental health in the Czech Republic.
One reason is the cultural problems in
defining mental health; another is the lack of
relevant research in this area. There is still no
evidence concerning the mental health impact of
transition on the Czech society. Nevertheless, it
appears that a number of risk factors for poor mental
health are increasing in the Czech Republic, as well
as in other transition countries. Among these are
increasing pressure to perform and win recognition
in a market-oriented society, an emphasis on
competition and consumption as symbols of status,
the risk of unemployment, instability or a decrease
in the socio-economic status of some groups,
poverty, migration, corruption and political and
economic instability. These factors have potential
consequences in the form of emotional deprivation,
low self-esteem, disturbances of interpersonal and
partner relations, emergence and development of
addictions of all kinds, and increase in suicidal and
parasuicidal behaviour,especially among some at
risk groups – for example, adolescents.
Background and starting points
The Czech Republic is a signatory to the WHO
Mental Health Declaration and Action Plan and is
also committed to the WHO Health 21 programme,
which includes mental health improvement as one
of its goals. The goal aims to improve conditions for
psychosocial well-being, ensure the availability of
specialist services to people with mental health
problems and reduce stigma and discrimination.
Other goals relevant to mental health promotion
include reducing the number of young people
participating in health damaging behaviour such as
drug, tobacco and alcohol consumption. The
Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Labour and Social
Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry
of Justice work together on reducing drug abuse,
co-ordinated by the Council of the Government for
Drug Policy Co-ordination.
The interpretation and delivery of psychiatric
care in Western, Eastern and Central European
countries has often been rather different. In response
to reports of psychiatric abuse and the application of
the Declaration of Human Rights to the field of
medicine, there has been a growing movement
across Europe to de-institutionalise psychiatric care
and to support people in the community through the
provision of crisis centres, day care, short stay
hospitals, protected workshops and support with
daily living. Under ideal circumstances, psychiatric
services should be able to provide mental health
care support, prevention and treatment close to the
patient’shome, working in close co-operation with
the primary health care system.
journal of public mental health
vol 5 • issue 2
©Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
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