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Mental Health Care Gap: The Case of the Slovak Republic

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Abstract

This study explored unmet mental health and social care needs in the Slovak Republic and their adverse human rights consequences. We estimated treatment gap for persons aged 15–64 years in year 2015 affected by depressive, anxiety, substance use and schizophrenic disorders by comparing local treated prevalence rates with population estimated rates for Europe. Two-thirds of people with depressive disorders and over 80% of those with anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence were not receiving treatment. There was no treatment gap for persons with schizophrenia. Fifty-one percent of those eligible for disability pension on the grounds of mental disorders failed to receive it. We discuss the implications of the estimated gaps in mental health and social care and consequent human rights violations that may result from the current system of mental health care in Slovakia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Alexandra Brazinova

  2. Olomouc University Society and Health Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Jozef Hasto

  3. St. Elisabeth University of Health and Social Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Jozef Hasto

  4. Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Itzhak Levav

  5. Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society, Pune, India

    Soumitra Pathare

Authors
  1. Alexandra Brazinova
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  2. Jozef Hasto
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  3. Itzhak Levav
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  4. Soumitra Pathare
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Correspondence to Alexandra Brazinova.

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Research Involving in Human and Animal Rights

The research did not involve human and/or animal experimentation.

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Brazinova, A., Hasto, J., Levav, I. et al. Mental Health Care Gap: The Case of the Slovak Republic. Adm Policy Ment Health 46, 753–759 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-019-00952-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-019-00952-z

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