Mental disorders and addictions are one of the health problems with one of the greatest impacts on the health, social and economic sectors in the majority of countries. According to the World Health Organization, two out of five disability cases worldwide are due to mental disorders, which also result in up to one out of three of the total contacts with health services in both developed and non-developed countries.
The high prevalence of these disorders is also related to rapid social transformations, and phenomena such as a lack of employment, poverty, migration, a lack of family and social support, loneliness, social network breakups and financial tension. The consequences of the recent financial crisis and the current Covid-19 pandemic are accentuating the impact of these determinants, additionally compromising early diagnosis as well as proper follow-up and monitoring for patients with mental illness.
Faced with all this, healthcare systems in developed countries are already facing unprecedented changes in their own history. The variability of clinical practice, the multidisciplinary nature of interventions, the complexity of the care process, the incorporation of new diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and the associated cost, among others, are all aspects that characterise the current healthcare situation. This also calls for us to be result oriented and to ensure the transparency of results.
This situation will evolve very quickly due to a change in the patient model, now taking on a more active, participatory and responsible profile in terms of managing their own health. In the area of mental health, in particular, different studies have shown that specific interventions aimed at the training of patients and family members of people with mental illness have achieved very positive results.
Given the current environment, it is imperative that professionals acquire new management tools and skills that facilitate their daily work.