Number of persons needing psychiatric assistance on the rise

The number of persons who need psychiatric assistance in Moldova has increased. 19% of the over 98,000 persons suffering from mental disorders who were recorded in 2010 are aged under 18. The information was made public by the Ministry of Health before the World Mental Health Day that is marked on October 10, Info-Prim Neo reports. The number of cases of new psychiatric disorders is also on the rise. 15% of the almost 15,000 cases recorded are new cases. In a communiqué, the Ministry of Health says the massive migration of people is one of the main factors that affect the mental health and the behavior. The traditional lifestyle is destroyed and the young people do not have functional behavioral and parental protection models and thus use such vicious practices as alcohol and drug abuse and prostitution. Under the National Health Policy, mental health services should be created in communities. There is developed the network of Community Mental Health Centers that provide services through multidisciplinary teams consisting of doctors, a social worker and a jurist. Every case is examined separately and there is worked out an individual rehabilitation plan. According to the World Health Organization, about 450 million people today suffer from mental or behavioral disorders, or from psychosocial problems such as those related to drug and alcohol abuse. More than 120 million people suffer from depression worldwide.