Is there a European specificity in Psychiatry?
Cyril Höschl
Prague Psychiatric Centre and Charles University, 3rd Faculty of Medicine,
Prague, Czech Republic
Hand in hand with emerging European identity on the political (no more
frontiers, free movement of people and ideas), economical (free movement of
goods), and cultural level, the need of reflection of this process also in other
fields including mental health care inevitably occurs. In medicine, arising
ethical concerns and accents to the rights of patients challenged recently the
structure of mental health care with more important role of patients and
families. We are now faced the need of re-conceptualisation of our discipline
and re-definition of its limits. Is it a medical discipline or rather a public
health service? This is a task for the respective bodies, both on European
and national level, to establish an active network for collaboration in mental
health research and policy, and to allocate responsibilities for
implementation of benchmarking, mapping of needs and structures, defining
standards of minimum care, ethical rules and treatment guidelines. Last but
not least, the educational process in all forms of training in mental health
should be harmonized on a European level. Professional European societies
such as EPA could now start to play much more important role in this
process than before.
References:
[1] Höschl C, Libiger J (2000) Rights and responsibilities of the psychiatric
profession. Acta Psychiatr Scand 101 (Suppl. 3999):40-41.
[2] Höschl C (2005) Helsinki Ministerial Conference – National Perspectives. Die
Psychiatrie 2:111-113
Address for correspondence:
C.H., Ustavni 91, 181 03 Praha 8, Czech Republic.
E-mail: hoschl@pcp.lf3.cuni.cz
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