Die andere pandemie: inzichten in en suggesties voor een betere public mental health (care)

Abstract

That other pandemic: insights and suggestions for a better public mental health (care). Like Covid-19, mental health problems threaten to undermine our society and the personal well-being of many – perhaps more dormantly, but not less destructively. Many people suffer from mental health problems and high suicide rates, skyrocketing psychopharmaceutical use and endless waiting times suggest that the quality of care today – despite the efforts of dedicated professionals –is sub-optimal. These staggering figures make the rollout of a larger plan to prevent, early identify and promptly treat mental health problems an urgent matter. This article focuses on how we can intervene in the mental wellbeing of our population: what bottlenecks underlie the current situation, what societal changes need to be made, and what data can contribute in the matter.