Almost every third person suffers from a mental illness requiring treatment in the course of their life. Around ten percent of the absenteeism among working people can be traced back to mental illnesses. Depression, alcoholism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are among the most common diseases worldwide. In the last ten years in particular, mental illnesses have been making up an ever larger proportion of the diagnosis and treatment spectrum. The reasons for this are complex and are currently being intensively discussed by epidemiologists.
In order to improve the database on the mental health of the population, the Federal Ministry of Health has funded an extensive additional survey on mental health as part of the study by the Robert Koch Institute on the health of adults (DEGS). In addition to a differentiated recording of mental disorders, information on the use of facilities in the care system should also be obtained. The data from the survey phase is currently being evaluated.
The increased demand for psychiatric and psychotherapeutic health services associated with the epidemiological trend poses major challenges for the health care system and social insurance. Well-founded scientific knowledge is required for the effective and future-proof design of the complex care process. For this reason, mental illnesses are also the subject of many funding priorities in the federal government’s health research program.
With the increase in diagnosed and treated mental illnesses, the importance of prevention and health promotion in this area is also growing. Mental health is primarily promoted where people live together, i.e. in families, in day-care centers and schools, at work or in homes for the elderly. Accordingly, the promotion of mental health and the prevention of mental disorders is a cross-political task that affects all areas of society.
Mental illnesses are still taboo in many places today. In parts of the population, they trigger uncertainty and fears. Accordingly, those affected feel stigmatized and excluded. Such a social climate characterized by fear and taboos when dealing with mental illness stands in the way of the use of preventive potential. In this sense, prevention and health promotion are closely linked to the problem of the stigmatization of mental illness. The Federal Ministry of Health therefore promotes public education about the nature and treatability of mental illnesses and is committed to protecting those affected from stigmatization and exclusion.
To this end, it promotes a wide range of measures, including the Action Alliance for Mental Health. The alliance is committed to public education and information about mental health and against the stigmatization of mental illness. To this end, it networks nationwide and regional initiatives and implements its own projects in cooperation with its alliance partners. Nationwide, more than 70 organisations, associations and institutions are now taking part.
More information can be found here about Mental Illness
“Quality of Therapeutic Relationship” (APK Volume 4)
The quality of the therapeutic relationship is of particular importance in psychiatric treatment and support for participation. The technical articles in this volume (PDF, not barrier-free, 5 MB) of the “Aktion Psychisch Kranken” deal with criteria of good relationship quality and optimization possibilities from the perspective of various experts from science, medical care and politics.