Shortage of Psychiatric Beds in Iran / Society's Needs Exceed Existing Capacity

The Director General of the Office of Mental Health, Social Health and Addiction at the Ministry of Health said that at least 10 percent of hospital beds should be allocated to psychiatric beds, adding that, based on figures from the Mental Health Survey and observations in psychiatric emergency departments, there is a need to increase the number of psychiatric beds.

The Director General of the Mental Health, Social and Addiction Office of the Ministry of Health stated that at least 10% of hospital beds should be allocated to psychiatric beds, and said: Based on the statistics and figures of the mental health survey and observations of psychiatric emergencies, there is a need to increase psychiatric beds.

According to Ambassador Arjan's report, Dr. Mohammad Reza Shalbafan said about the state of psychiatric beds in Iran: Psychiatric beds are few, especially in cities with high population density, and the number of psychiatric beds is also considered low in relation to the need that exists at the community level. Therefore, we have to say that we have a shortage of psychiatric beds.

He explained about the prevalence of psychiatric disorders: According to the results of the latest national mental health survey, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders is 25.1%, which is considered a high prevalence. On the other hand, observing psychiatric emergencies and acute psychiatric conditions such as suicidal thoughts and actions in different age groups is a confirmation for the need to increase psychiatric beds.

He explained with the geographical extent of the country: the geographical extent of the country has caused that even with the availability of psychiatric beds in the center of a province, the number of psychiatric beds does not meet the needs of that province. Also, the long distance of some cities from the centers of the provinces emphasizes the necessity of increasing the number and dispersion of psychiatric beds.

Saying that the number of psychiatric beds should be increased, Shalbafan said: According to the guidelines of the past years, at least 10% of hospital beds should be allocated to psychiatric beds. Based on the current conditions of the society, allocating 10% of hospital bed capacity to psychiatric beds should be the focus of attention so that the number of psychiatric beds will increase from the current number.

The Director General of the Office of Mental, Social and Addiction Health of the Ministry of Health stated that we have put several programs on the agenda with the aim of reducing the need for hospitalization, and said: Reducing the re-hospitalization of psychiatric patients is one of the goals of implementing the Siraj program and providing mental and social health services at the community level. Studies show that providing psychosocial services in areas that have adequate coverage in terms of the covered population can significantly reduce the need for hospitalization.

This psychiatrist continued: Although it seems that the provision of psychosocial services can reduce psychiatric readmissions, the society's need for psychiatric beds is greater than the available number. Based on the current conditions, in addition to the expansion of mental and social health programs, the development of psychiatric beds should also be considered.

He stated that paying attention to psychiatric beds for children and adolescents should be the focus of attention, and clarified: In addition to paying attention to general psychiatric beds, we should also pay attention to psychiatric beds for children and adolescents. Attention should not be limited to general beds, but specialized psychiatric beds such as the elderly and inpatient management and treatment of addiction should also be in the spotlight. Increasing the capacity of general and specialized psychiatric beds requires special support.

Shalbafan explained about using the capacity of the private sector to provide psychiatric services: It is possible that the private sector can take over a significant part of providing specialized services in hospitals, but it is possible to provide specialized psychiatric inpatient services in the private sector only in a few cities at the moment. It seems that the private sector, for various reasons including economic issues, does not have enough motivation to enter psychiatric inpatient services in many cases.

The Director General of the Mental Health, Social and Addiction Office of the Ministry of Health said: There have been intermittent efforts to increase the number of psychiatric beds over the past years. But continuous effort and special action to increase these beds is an inevitable issue. The vice-chancellor of treatment is in charge of hospital treatment in the country and is planning to increase hospital beds, but for this there must be a special plan and synergy by various institutions and organizations.

Shalbafan said about the state of access to psychiatric beds in Iran in comparison to international standards: the state of psychiatric beds in the country is almost "average" compared to some countries in the region, which are considered to be almost equal economically and socially; But compared to many western countries, the number of psychiatric beds is "low" compared to the population.

He said: "The number of psychiatric beds relative to the population depends on various components such as the distribution of cities, the referral system, how services are provided, and hospitalization rules." The laws of the countries for hospitalization and maintenance of chronic patients are different; Therefore, it is not possible to comment on the comparative status of psychiatric beds by simply comparing the numbers between countries. The number of psychiatric beds should be based on the conditions of the countries.

This psychiatrist stated: Based on the statistics of the mental health survey and observations of psychiatric emergencies, the need to increase psychiatric beds is felt. In addition to increasing the number of psychiatric beds, we must pay attention to the geographical distribution of the country, so that there is proper access for these beds to improve the current access.

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