Víctor Pérez, president of Sepsm; and Francisco Santolaya, president of the General Council of Psychology.
The mental health is more and more integrated into the different health systems of the autonomous communities, establishing itself as a clear nationwide problem. This situation has stimulated the creation of some key figures with the aim of alleviating this type of pathology. Some diseases that, according to psychologists and psychiatrists, require a new profile: the acquaintance’peer to peer‘, cotherapist o expert patientwhich must be entered in the Mental Health Strategy.
The ‘peer to peer’ is a person who has suffered from a mental illness and has already recovered, whose main function would be limited to guiding patients to improve their mental health. So the addition of this figure, according to specialists, is “essential” for its recovery. So much so that some regions such as Catalonia propose their hiring inside of the National Health System (SNS).
In fact, both psychiatrists and psychologists take it to another level: “The figure of the expert patient must be introduced into the Mental Health Strategysince this would greatly facilitate its integration in the health centers of the autonomous communities”, explains Victor Perezpresident of the Spanish Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health (Sepsm), a Medical Writing.
In this same sense, it appears Francisco Santolayapresident of the General Council of Psychology of Spainwho assures this medium that “all those elements and resources of an economic nature, personnel and infrastructure that help develop the mental health are always welcome”, as is the figure of ‘peer to peer’.
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Francisco Santolaya: “The caregiver should never and cannot be a substitute for the professional of Psychology or Psychiatry” |
However, despite the fact that for these specialists it is necessary to incorporate this figure in the Mental Health Strategyboth agree that “the caregiver is a support elementhelpful to share your experiences, but obviously should never and can never be a substitute for professional psychology or psychiatry“, affirmed Santolaya.
This must be so because, according to the president of the General Council of Psychology“These interventions, without proper professional supervision, can lead to complicated situations. Expert patients only have their own life experience, but Lack of professional experience when not health training”. He also adds that “the practice of psychotherapy it can and should only be exercised by qualified and trained professionals. The opposite can lead to harm to the patient who is intended to help.
The ‘peer to peer’, already present in Oncology or Nephrology
This new profile “is a figure that has existed for many years, as is the case with the diabetesthe Oncology o to nephrology“. This is so because, according to Pérez, “when someone has a problem or illness, it is very important that they have a good doctor, nurse and psychologist or psychiatristbut there are things that can only explain people who have suffered“.
It is the case of the mental diseases What are they very difficult to understand and that no matter how much a health professional explains it, what the patient wants to hear is that another person has gone through the same thing, that he was hospitalized and that, following recovering, he has a normal life”.
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Víctor Pérez: “Expert patients are effective and help underestimate mental health” |
In addition, Pérez points out that “there are scientific evidence which shows that expert patients are effective with people who suffer from mental illness and also help to underestimate it”. Another very important point since “the mentally ill is the weirdest feelso having first-hand information from someone who has been through that situation and who has managed to overcome it, is an opportunity that cannot be ignored”.
Hiring the cotherapist or expert patient
Although there are several autonomous communities that already have the figure of the expert patientlike Andalusia and Madrid, it has only been Catalonia that, to date, has requested hiring these people within the SNS. In fact, as explained Magda Casamitjanadirector of the National Mental Health Pact, in an interview with Medical Writingthey want it to become “profession, not something volunteer“.
An initiative that, according to the president of Sepsm, “is far to go because the main problem that exists is that most people, having mental illnesses, receive some type of pension”. Added to this is another drawback and that is the fact that “the expert patient is not a health profession, so it is very complicated for health systems to hire these figuresPerez concludes.
Although it may contain statements, data or notes from health institutions or professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We recommend the reader that any questions related to health be consulted with a health professional.
