Lithuania mental health country profile

Abstract

As a part of international mental health policy, programmes and services project, the 'country profile' instrument was used for assessment of mental health policy and services in the Republic of Lithuania. Analysis of contextual factors revealed high levels of social pathology (including violence, suicide and other self-destructive behaviour) with stigmatizing approaches by the general population to mentally disturbed persons and other vulnerable groups. Analysis of existing data about resources invested in the mental health care system raises questions for policymakers about the effectiveness of this traditional way of investment. The largest proportion of physical and human capital is concentrated in psychiatric institutions, with large numbers of beds, psychiatrists and increasing funding for medications, while other components of care--such as housing, psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation, community-based child mental health services--are not being developed. Statistical accounts keep the tradition of presenting processes as outcomes, while modern assessment of outcomes of services, programmes and policies are lacking. The findings from this country profile may be very useful in the development of modern mental health policies in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, which have been deprived for decades from the opportunity to introduce evidence-based mental health policies and services.

Scoping Review: Autism Research in Baltic States—What Is Known and What Is Still To Be Studied

“…It was introduced only in the early 1990, after the Soviet Union collapsed (Pūras et al 2004). This scoping review revealed that research on autism is limited.…”

“…Little is known about the current situation of autism in Baltic States as there is a lack of substantial research in this field across all three Baltic countries (Pūras et al 2004;Querdenker and Meirhofer 2014;Mikulėnaitė and Ulevičiūtė 2004). Therefore, to investigate autism in this region, we decided to perform scoping review.…”

“…The existing view of mental health of that time was highly influenced by Moscow school of psychiatry, which concentrated on treatment with medicine and institutionalisation of patients with psychiatric disorders (Lesinskienė et al 2008). Government did not recognise mental health problems and did not seek to integrate vulnerable people into society (Pūras et al 2004). Moreover, treatment relied on a biological approach, with few nonpharmacological therapies offered.…”

“…Moreover, treatment relied on a biological approach, with few nonpharmacological therapies offered. In addition, there was no family care or support provided by the government (Lesinskienė et al 2008;Pūras et al 2004).…”

“…Since the 1990s when the three Baltic countries gained independence, there appears to have been little change in the management of autism (Pūras et al 2004;Querdenker and Meirhofer 2014). This may be caused by lack of awareness and comprehension of the condition, which is supported by the absence of integration of people with autism into regular schools.…”