Free psychological help offices already operate in most regions

In Russia, new rules for the provision of medical care for mental disorders have been in force for two months. They, in particular, provide for the creation of medical and psychological counseling rooms in polyclinics, where one can meet with a psychologist within the framework of compulsory medical insurance. In most regions, to which Kommersant applied with a request, such offices have actually opened, but so far no more than two dozen per subject. Representatives of the regional authorities assured that they “can be contacted by citizens with various issues, including increased anxiety, stressful situations, difficulties in controlling their own emotions, as well as problems in communicating with relatives, colleagues, friends.” Most of the citizens – about 2.5 thousand people – were received by specialists in St. Petersburg. In the Irkutsk region, half of those who applied were participants in a special military operation and members of their families. In Khakassia, NMD veterans are invited to a “proactive” consultation for psychological testing.

From July 1, medical care for mental and behavioral disorders is provided according to the new regulations. The procedure was approved by the order of the Ministry of Health No. 668n (replaced by the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of 2012). The document envisages, in particular, the widespread creation of medical and psychological support rooms. There you can apply for psychological help free of charge, within the framework of compulsory medical insurance. The Ministry of Health clarified that such rooms can be created both in specialized medical organizations (psychiatric hospitals, neuropsychiatric dispensaries), and in district hospitals and polyclinics. At the same time, according to the new regulation, there should be 25,000 adult patients per medical psychologist. The regional authorities, the medical department specified, “are working to create offices and (or) approve the appropriate patient routing scheme.” Thus, according to the Ministry of Health, more than 1,000 psychologists’ offices have already been opened. Financing of the work of specialists is carried out “within the framework of the per capita standard of the attached population.”

Kommersant found out that in most regions such offices have already begun to function. In the Irkutsk region, medical psychologists, according to the regional Ministry of Health, have now appeared in 14 medical institutions. Five are located in the regional center, the rest – in district and city hospitals in other territories of the Angara region. “Patients may come with a variety of issues, including increased anxiety, stressful situations, difficulties in controlling their own emotions, as well as problems in communicating with relatives, colleagues, friends. Currently, about half of the total number of those who applied to the offices are members of the SVO and members of their families, ”said Olga Lobanova, chief freelance specialist in medical psychology at the Ministry of Health of the Irkutsk Region.

In Khakassia, nine rooms for medical and psychological counseling have been opened at inter-district and city hospitals. Reception is conducted by medical psychologists with higher education in the specialty “clinical psychology”, or specialists who have undergone retraining in this specialty. In most medical organizations in Khakassia, psychologists were on staff before, but new ones have appeared, for example, in the Abakan Interdistrict Clinical Hospital. The appointment time is 90 minutes. According to the local Ministry of Health, 177 people applied to the offices of medical and psychological counseling, of which 19 were participants in the SVO. Medical organizations proactively invite combat veterans to undergo psychological testing. Of the 14 people who received such invitations, nine have already gone through this procedure.

In the Voronezh region, offices have been set up in 47 polyclinics and district hospitals. The regional health department said that new psychologists were brought in to help existing psychologists (including ten people after retraining at the local medical university). From June 1 to August 31, 964 patients applied to the offices. The time limit for admission is not currently established, they added: “When conducting a test diagnostic examination, it is additionally necessary from 1.5 to 5-6 hours per patient, depending on the purpose of the examination, the choice of methods and the method of processing the results (manual or automated) “.

Kursk medical organizations employ 102 medical psychologists. Since the beginning of the year, 29 specialists have come to work in the institutions, the regional Ministry of Health clarified.

Since July 1, 16 medical and psychological counseling rooms have been opened in Chuvashia. The Ministry of Health of the Republic clarified that the collection of a psychological history and complaints during an appointment takes up to 15 minutes, and a clinical psychological examination and counseling with subsequent psychological assistance can take up to 4-6 hours. For two months, more than 300 residents of the republic received psychological counseling.

In St. Petersburg, according to the city’s health committee, medical psychologists’ offices operate in 58 clinics. About 2.5 thousand people turned to new specialists here. An appointment at the polyclinic, according to the schedule of doctors on the portal of electronic services of the healthcare system, lasts about an hour. Back in June, the head of the outpatient medical care department of the St. Petersburg Health Committee, Larisa Solovieva, reported that the city needed more than 100 psychologists’ offices. The Moscow Department of Health did not respond to Kommersant’s request.

But in the clinics of the Crimea, Kommersant was told in the structures of the republican Ministry of Health, the positions of psychologists are not yet included in the staff. This will not be done until next year. The Ministry of Health of the Krasnodar Territory did not respond to a request. In Krasnodar’s polyclinic appointment schedule, for example, there is no data on the appointment of a specialist psychologist. In the polyclinics of Pyatigorsk, there are no specialists-psychologists in the polyclinics either. In Stavropol, a psychological help office operates in the regional psychiatric hospital, where you can get several free consultations on compulsory medical insurance. Citizens are also sent to city hospitals No. 2 and No. 3, an oncology dispensary, antenatal clinics and a perinatal center.

Olga Goldman, director of the Yasnoe Utro (Clear Morning) Psychological Assistance Service for Oncology Patients, believes that the government’s initiative will “taboo” the topic of seeking psychological help. Now, in her opinion, this is especially important, since people who “experienced traumatic events and will temporarily or permanently suffer from psychological problems” are returning from SWO: “It is very important that they can receive psychological help quickly and without obstacles” . “On the other hand, specialists have many questions about how this will be organized,” continues Ms. Goldman. “According to my data, only 10% of psychologists in the country have a specialization in clinical psychology, that is, they have studied and understand the border between psychiatric and non-psychiatric disorders. Given the shortage of clinical psychologists, it is not clear how people who need medical help will reach a psychiatrist.” According to Ms. Goldman, a law on psychological assistance could improve the situation, but it has not yet been adopted.

Natalia Kostarnova; regional corset “Kommersant”