Azerbaijan develops national strategy on mental health

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 23 / Trend K.Zarbaliyeva /

Azerbaijan has developed a national strategy on the mental health of the population.
The document is waiting for its approval, Azerbaijani Chief Psychiatrist and Medical University Psychiatry Department Chief Geray Geraybeyli told Trend.

He said the strategy covers issues such as mental health, prevention of mental diseases, and prevention of the causes of the transition to a chronic form of disease, early prevention of mental illness and establishment of advisory centers.

The strategy also stipulates collection of information about suicides and other mental illnesses, keeping their statistics, he added.

Geraybeyli said a person experiencing any problem does not consider treatment in a psychiatric clinic as acceptable.

"He fears to be compromised in the society because public opinion in this matter is ambiguous. People refrain from turning to the psychiatrist for these reasons. Alternative mental health facilities and mental health centers should be created to address these issues," he said.

These institutions can help people with mental health problems. The strategy defines the direction in relation to these issues, Geraybeyli said.

Although the adoption of the national strategy will not address all the problems associated with mental illness, e.g., suicide, it will be a major turning point in this area, however, he said.