Τίτλος:
Old age mental health services in Southern Balkans: Features, geospatial
distribution, current needs, and future perspectives
Γλώσσες Τεκμηρίου:
Αγγλικά
Περίληψη:
Background Healthcare services are increasingly confronted with
challenges related to old age mental disorders. The survey aimed to
provide an overview of existing psychogeriatric services in Albania,
Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia. Methods After identification of
psychogeriatric units across the four countries, their head physicians
were asked to provide data on their clinical, teaching, and research
activity, as well as staff composition. Moreover, the attitudes of head
physicians to current needs and future service development were
explored. Results A total of 15 psychogeriatric units were identified (3
in Bulgaria, 8 in Greece, and 4 in North Macedonia). Results show wide
variation regarding the location, team size and composition, service
availability, numbers of patients attending, and inpatient treatment
length. Most head physicians underscored the urgent need for
breakthroughs in the graduate and postgraduate education in
psychogeriatrics of medical and nonmedical professionals, as well as in
the interconnection of their units with community primary healthcare
services and long-term care facilities for seniors via telemedicine.
They would welcome the development of national standards for
psychogeriatric units, potentially embodying clear pointers for action.
A number of head physicians advocated the development of nationwide old
age mental health registries. Conclusions Regional disparities in
resources and services for seniors' mental health services were
unveiled. These data may enrich the dialogue on optimizing
psychogeriatric services through planning future cross-border
collaborations mainly based on telemedicine services, especially in the
era of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and training/education in
psychogeriatrics of mental health professionals.
Συγγραφείς:
Alexopoulos, P.
Novotni, A.
Novotni, G.
Vorvolakos, T. and
Vratsista, A.
Konsta, A.
Kaprinis, S.
Konstantinou, A. and
Bonotis, K.
Katirtzoglou, E.
Siarkos, K.
Bekri, E. S. and
Kokkoris, I.
Como, A.
Gournellis, R.
Stoyanov, D. S. and
Politis, A.
Περιοδικό:
European Psychiatry
Εκδότης:
Cambridge University Press
Λέξεις-κλειδιά:
liaison; in; and outpatient psychogeriatric services; research and
didactic activity; telepsychiatry
DOI:
10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.85
