2023-05-14 11:22:00
Guest of the program “It’s not every day on Sunday” on May 14, the Minister of Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, was present to announce a series of measures which will come into force on July 1. The objective is to help and ensure better follow-up for young people experiencing psychiatric problems. According to a survey, the proportion of young people who have suicidal thoughts has increased in recent years.
For several years, more and more Belgians have been exhausted. This is especially the case with young people and teenagers. It must be said that between the economic crisis, the conflict in Ukraine and the covid, the last few years have not been the most pleasant. According to a major HSBC survey of 20,000 Belgians, 22.3% of our young people today have suicidal thoughts. Four years ago, this figure was 17.4%.
I told myself that the only solution was to leave
Calixte, a young 20-year-old student, was present on the set to give her testimony on a dark period of her life. The young girl notably wanted to commit suicide, because she might no longer bear the situation she was experiencing. “I was constantly under pressure. I wanted to be perfect in all areas and at one point, my brain clearly told me: ‘There, I’m fed up’. I said to myself that the only solution was to leave, join those who had left in my family“.
She also tells how she came to write goodbye letters to loved ones. “I had everything planned, the funeral, the funeral“, she testifies. Fortunately, today, the situation has improved for the young girl. “It’s getting better and better“, she says.
An increase in staff and better follow-up
Calixte called on the Minister of Health to ask for better support following hospitalization. “Hospitals need to follow up better. (…) I myself was hospitalized for 3 weeks, but following that I was released into the wild. I no longer had any follow-up from the hospital. Fortunately, I had a doctor who I adore and a psychologist who has been following me for a few years because otherwise, I would completely fall back into depression.“, explains the student.
Aware of the situation, Frank Vandenbroucke promises to act, and this, from the first of July. It is from this date that he will implement several reforms to help in the care and support of people suffering from depression. “As far as mental health care is concerned, I believe that we really need to invest, which we are already doing, but also organize differently“, he explains.
“We have already taken initiatives in this area, but I can already announce that we will, as of July 1, make it possible to significantly strengthen our mobile teams (teams that can organize long-term care in their living environment) to young people and adolescents). (…) From July 1, our mobile teams for long-term care will be able to increase their resources by 50%. There are currently in our mobile teams (for long-term care), the equivalent of 107 full-time jobs. This number will increase to 161“.
In a press release concerning this subject, the Minister specifies:The current budget for mobile long-term care teams is 14.5 million euros per year. With this additional investment of 6.8 million euros per year, mobile long-term care teams will now be strengthened by 50%“.
Also in the statement, the Minister also explains that, “In addition, primary care reform should allow us to identify problems much more quickly, in order to provide children and adolescents with appropriate care much more quickly and to refer them to specialist help if necessary.“.
A sector that has come a long way
Also present on the set, Caroline Depuydt, psychiatrist and administrator of the ABSYM (Belgian Association of Medical Unions), wanted to warn regarding the difficulties that the staff also encounter within the units. “You also have to realize that adults are not doing well either. So parents, educators, caregivers out of breath, all of this also contributes to a difficulty of care“, she explains.
In particular, she pressed on an unexciting figure: “Up to 30% of our compulsory hospitalizations are under 25 years old. It is extremely worrying and it also shows that we must indeed put the means everywhere and that we must continue this“.
Watch the full debate below:
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