Keys to improving mental health care multidisciplinary research and a more active role of the patient

Granada, February 2012.- multidisciplinary research and the importance that the patient is involved in decisions on disease shots, are some of the key aspects that have highlighted various professionals in the field of Mental Health in a new session of meetings awareness activity during which this issue has been addressed.

Organized by the Andalusian progress public foundation and health and held in the Andalusian School of public health, this day has attended nearly a hundred of patients, families and associations of patients, those who have had the opportunity to meet the research and studies that are carried out in the field of Mental Health andmore specifically, in regards to severe, eating disorders, depression, and autism.

In this sense, the professionals have shown the importance of projects and research programmes that are being developed and that should be a multisectoral and multidisciplinary nature ” to address the disease from the different slopes which affects: society, education, psychology … etc, as highlighted by the Coordinator of the Mental health of Andalusia, Eulalio Valmisa comprehensive Plan. This expert, in addition, emphasis has been that both the patient and their environment should get involved and gain more control over the decisions and actions that affect their health, what has come to be known as empowerment of the patient.

During the session he has also talked about the current treatments for serious disorders, such as psychosis. In this sense, the Coordinator of the hospitalization unit of Health Mental of the Hospital San Cecilio de Granada, Jorge Cervilla, has analyzed aspects such as the need to revise the definition of the psychotic disorder and to adapt and customize treatment according to each patient.

On the other hand, issues such as depression and autism focused pronounced papers, respectively, by Juan Angel Bellon, medical family of the center of health El Palo (Malaga) and by Antonio Pons, Coordinator of the strategy of early attention in the public health system of Andalusia; While the approach of eating disorders was provided by Francesca Rubió, of the clinical Centre of Psychology Previ, in the Valencian Community. Three experts have been affected, like others, the importance of an effective diagnostic and prevention plans.

Active participation of the associations

Associations of patients in the Mental health field have had a very active participation during this session. In the round of questions outlined doubts and concerns about their personal situation and the evolution of research in this field. Thus, they have welcomed the initiative with great interest and have been satisfied with their development.

These meetings, in fact, emphasize the patients and associations, who have the opportunity to learn, first hand, those studies that are being made in the pathology that affects them. Since that they were launched, in 2010, they have dealt with the themes of diabetes, heart disease, Oncology, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and obesity, among others.