Section Reports

Since its establishment the Section has worked on a number of important aspects of psychiatric care and practice in Europe. The work is normally carried out through working groups which publish their recommendations in the form of a report. For the full text of a report please click on its title.

• COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES' GREEN PAPER ON MENTAL HEALTH - The results of the open consultation
  The report, published by the Commission on 19 December 2006, summarises the responses to the Green Paper. It complements the Resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 6 September 2006 and the Opinion given by the European Economic and Social Committee on 17 May 2006, plus the "Report and Recommendations of the EU Consultative Platform on Mental health" received after the consultation meetings. All contributions to the consultation, and also the summary report about the consultation meetings prepared by the SUPPORT-project, can be found on the Commission's official website:

  http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/mental/green_paper/consultation_en.htm
  

  Overall, the feedback to the Green Paper was very positive. The Commisison is therefore preparing a follow-up paper setting out a strategy on mental health in the first half of 2007. The link to a press release in this context:

  http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/press_mental_health_en.htm
  

  The press release refers to the publication of a report about a Eurobarometer survey on mental health which can be downloaded from the following link:

  http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_publication/eurobarometers_en.htm
  

  
  
• COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES - GREEN PAPER: Improving the mental health of the population. Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union
  On 14 October 2005, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper on Mental Health to tackle mental illnesses which now affect over one in four adults in the European Union. The Green Paper, aims to launch a public consultation on how better to tackle mental illness and promote mental well-being in the EU. Mental illness affects over 27% of European adults every year, and is responsible for the majority of the annual 58 000 deaths by suicide, more than the number who die from motor vehicle traffic accidents. Moreover, mental health levels can have a significant influence on the economic and social welfare of society. Until recently, however, the importance of mental health has been largely overshadowed by other public health matters. The Commission is therefore initiating a wide ranging debate on the issue, to highlight the importance of mental well-being and to examine how best to develop a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health.
  

  The UEMS Section of Psychiatry discussed this document at their Spring meeting held on 7 April 2006 in Vienna and prepared a formal response. The Green Paper is available in other languages from Europa website.

• Compulsory Treatment in the Community
  The UEMS Section of Psychiatry is sensitive to the very diverse legal structures in the EU and of the need to restrict itself to general issues. It recognises that detail is the responsibility of individual legislatures and that to try to cover every circumstance would be impossible. Initially, the Section considered attempting to produce a position statement on arrangements for detention under legal measure in EU Psychiatric practice. Following discussions, this became restricted to a consideration of Compulsory Care and Treatment in the Community. This narrower focus has already been the subject of legislation in some countries (e.g. Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003) and is being actively considered in others. This paper also has that focus, so that issues relating to hospital care and detention fall out-with the review.
• Consensus statement - Psychiatric services focussed on a community: challenges for the training of future psychiatrists
  During their meeting in Geneva in April 2004, the leaders of European psychiatry representing the AEP, UEMS, WHO and WPA, approved the above consensus statement which, it is hoped, will be widely disseminated throughout Europe and form the basis for discussions on developments in training and service provision.
• Continuing Medical Education
  Recommendations and complementary additions specific to the needs of the medical speciality of psychiatry in Continuing Medical Education. This revised version was approved in October 2003.
• Old Age Psychiatry (currently under review)
  Europe’s population is ageing –17% of the population is over 65. The biggest growth in the next 20 years will be in those over 85. Another demographic change over the last 50 years is the growing proportion of those over 65 living alone. Older age is associated with high rates of depression (12-15%) and the onset of dementia (5% at 65 rising to 20% at 85). These disorders co-occur with physical disease common to this age group which are often relatively poor and marginalised. This report was prepared in order to identify the current patterns of old age psychiatry practice in Europe and to make recommendations for training to facilitate the raising of standards in this clinical area.
• Profile of a Psychiatrist
  This report describes the necessary competences and tasks of a contemporary European psychiatrist and is aimed at other medical professionals, educators, politicians, decision makers and the general public.
• Psychotherapy
  Psychotherapy is understood as a specific and systematic way of psychological treatment, scientifically based. As such, it includes at least psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioural psychotherapies. There should be a contract between the patient and the therapist. The aim is to treat psychiatric symptoms, to gain better emotional and social functioning and to facilitate personal growth. For the full report please click on the title above.
• Recommendations on Social and Community Psychiatry
  Based on the information gathered from responses to the survey conducted in 1996 on social and community psychiatry, the UEMS Section on Psychiatry set up the recommendations listed in this report. The paper was reviewed again in April 2006 and found to be still valid and up to date with the current situation in Europe.

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