The incidence of mental and behavioral disorders in the Republic of Moldova is rather high, being at an alarming level among children and teenagers. In 2022, 78,000 persons suffered from mental health problems and 10,000 of these were children, Minister of Health Ala Nemerenco stated in an event centering on mental health, IPN reports.
According to the minister, few people with mental illnesses have access to medical services of a high quality. Mental health and wellbeing are a priority for the Ministry. In the long process of reforming mental health services, emphasis was placed on an integrated view on mental health.
Besides the services offered by the three psychiatric hospitals in Chisinau, Balti and Orhei, community mental health services are today also provided at 40 centers in all the districts and municipalities of the country. These centers offer medical assistance, support and psychosocial rehabilitation to persons with mental health problems. The minister noted that the pandemic created a global mental health crisis, fuelling stress and affecting mental health. The number of cases of anxiety disorders and depression grew by 25% during the first year of pandemic alone.
Ala Nemerenco also said that almost 1 billion people globally live with a mental disorder. About 3 million people die each year due to alcohol abuse and a suicide is committed every 40 seconds. For each suicide, there are likely more than 20 suicide attempts. The highest suicide rate is among adolescents.
WHO Representative in the Republic of Moldova Miljana Grbic said that mental health is one of the basic human rights. The border between physical health and mental health should be erased as the two form a whole. In the European Region of the WHO, where there are 53 member states, one in seven persons faces particular mental health problems. Regrettably, few of these people benefitted from appropriate services and many of them face stigmatization and discrimination. There is a decline in mental health professionals globally and the member states are therefore recommended to rethink their policies in the field.
Andrei Eșanu, one of the managers of the technical working group on mental health and psychosocial support in the Republic of Moldova, said that mental health is very important and this issue is a problem not only for persons with mental disorders, but also for each of us. When the rights of persons with mental health problems are protected, the rights of all the persons are protected. Mental health at the workplace and at school is also important. When communication on this issue is improved, better solutions will be found to prevent and ameliorate mental health issues.
Lucia Carp, head of the Buiucani Mental Health Center, noted that there are over 40 community mental health centers in Moldova and multidisciplinary teams that include psychiatrists, psychologists, social and medical assistants work at these. They are ready to offer assistance also to persons with mental disorders. She called on the people to be more emphatic with persons with mental health problems.
World Mental Health Day is annually celebrated on October 10.
