I published reports on suicides among young people. When we look at such statistics, at such terrifying numbers, only then do we see how much still needs to be done – said Paulina Filipowicz, psychologist and activist from the GrowSpace Foundation, in “Tak jest”. Together with Professor Janusz Heitzman, vice-president of the Polish Psychiatric Association, they talked about care for people with mental disorders. The expert argued that “social awareness is growing and our belief that there is no health without mental health is becoming more and more common”.
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Paulina Filipowicz, psychologist and activist from the GrowSpace Foundation, and Professor Janusz Heitzman, vice-president of the Polish Psychiatric Association, talked in “Tak jest” on TVN24 about the mental health of Poles and the situation of psychiatry in the health care system.
Heitzman emphasized that “mental health is the highest human good, it should be protected and the state should protect it”. He assessed that “social awareness is growing and our belief that there is no health without mental health is probably becoming more and more common”. – Everyone feels this – he added.
Filipowicz: the problem is still huge
According to Filipowicz, “the reform of psychiatry has actually been going on for about six years.” – Various initiatives are being created, such as Mental Health Centers, which are of course good initiatives, but you could say that we are still in our infancy when it comes to the field of mental health – she said, emphasizing that “there is still a lot to do.”
– As part of the GrowSpace foundation, I published reports on suicides among young people. When we look at such statistics, at such terrifying numbers, only then do we see how much still needs to be done – she noted. She also emphasized that “it's not like these statistics are meant to scare anyone”. – But they are meant to sound the alarm. They are meant to show that this problem, which is the neglect of psychiatry, is still huge – she explained. In her opinion, it cannot be fixed in a year or two.
Paulina Filipowicz on the reform of psychiatry in PolandTVN24
Heitzman: Smartphone solves problems. Up to a point. And not all of them
The Vice President of the Polish Psychiatric Association spoke about the problems young people face. – I have to say that almost 20 percent of young people have a problem with addiction to new technologies – he announced. According to him, it is easier for children to give up stimulants than to decide to “not use a smartphone or limit the time spent on social media”. – Why is this happening? Because this is reality. Because the world is changing. Because we live in a world of huge amounts of information and our brain, these two hemispheres of ours, are not able to process this information. That is why there is a third hemisphere, this smartphone that we take out of our pocket, which allows us to live. We get on the subway, anywhere, everyone with this smartphone. This smartphone solves their problems. For a time. And not all of them – said Professor Heitzman.
Children's Rights Ombudsman: Using the help of a psychologist or psychiatrist is not a shameTVN24
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