“Sick people often doubt whether you help are entitled to”

Psychotherapy places are in short supply in Germany, and this is especially a Problem for the patient. The mentally ill need to wait in their Distress, often for months, until you get a therapy place. It is also a Problem for the community, because the costs are borne by the General public: The number of sick days due to mental health problems has doubled a health insurance report says that between 2007 and 2017 from 48 million to 107 million.

That something has to change in this state, is clear.

With his proposal, the share Waiting in the Sick and mentally Healthy in life crises, is the psychiatrist Manfred Lütz Concerned, however, a disservice. Because Sick people often doubt whether you help deserve at all.

The way the psychotherapist is difficult for many already incredible. Applicants often wait much too long until you are looking for a handler. They are ashamed, afraid, or the drive is missing.

Psychological problems talk small

This Trend has changed in recent years, is gratifying for the patient. A goal-oriented Instrument for the since April of 2017 existing psychotherapeutic consultation. This is a low threshold for consultation, in which people without a long waiting time for an assessment of their ailments. In about 90 percent of these conversations, people get a diagnosis.

Who suggests now, however, in the treatment of psychotherapists in Germany armchairs were primarily Healthy, “would have required, for any reason conversation”, talking about the mental problems of the Affected unduly small. Because in this country you do not need to are on the verge of suicide, to be able to a psychotherapy. Also in the case of anxiety disorders, dysthymia, eating disorders or psychosomatic disorders psychotherapy is Concerned.

First the diagnosis, then the therapy

To focus the lack of resources on severely depressed patients, the mean other of the therapy to deny. Because The ceiling is too short, and Mr Lütz suggests that now the feet instead of the shoulders to freeze. The public order is so far, but to warm the whole body.

In addition, under the image of the Healthy, not in crisis, that the psychotherapists do their work. One of our fundamental tasks is to review, in the context of the trial hours with a diagnosis and an indication of whether a mental disorder with the disease is present value. As a somatic doctor also first, a diagnosis before he is treated. This process is an essential precondition for the reimbursement by the health insurance.

Healthy send home

What would I do as a therapist if I could treat for the same fee, either a very disturbed man, or a Healthy with a chat? I would send healthy people home, and the severely disturbed people treat. Because it’s my job to help sick people, and I love this profession. Why should psychotherapists undergo a year-long, expensive training to learn their craft, but do not want to apply?

Although want and also psychotherapists need to earn your money from work. For this, we do not enrich us, but to the patient. In medical salary rankings, the psychotherapist manoeuvring has always been a distant last place. The speaking medicine enjoys in our health system is not a high priority – at least not materially.

Also, the Federal chamber of psychotherapists, is a statutory organ of self-government for a better care of the mentally ill. To call this democratic is the author of a public body, as a lobby Association, is simply wrong. The chamber shall neither obscuring of influence, nor is decision-makers with money, or trying to influence them with perks. The chamber can prevail over other actors in the health sector with arguments – that’s all.

How could the appearance of an improved supply?

The most obvious solution is more treatment capacity to create. According to current estimates, 7000 psycho-lack of a nationwide therapeutic practices, especially in the rural area and in the Ruhr area. Before now a Cry comes: The individual therapist would earn not a penny more. In addition, the total costs for psychotherapy will take only a low single-digit percentage of total health expenditure. It is proven to be well spent expenditure, the cost elsewhere – saved by sick -.

Another approach is group therapy better to pay. These are very effective and more patients can be treated at the same time. A therapy group, however, does a lot of organizational effort that has not been rewarded appropriately. This is one of the reasons why so far, only about five percent of all outpatient psycho-therapy, group therapies are carried out.

In addition, there are the chronically mentally ill patients for outpatient psychotherapy alone is not the correct form of treatment. These need in-patient treatment, or concepts that will help you to come home. Under the terms of Home Treatment or community psychiatry would then have to medical, psycho-therapeutic and social support services interlocking. Yet this is often difficult, because the money is missing.