Work in Progress:
Policy Brief on Sustainable Financing of Psychosocial Services for Refugees
Members of our network are currently working on a Policy Brief on Sustainable Financing of Psychosocial Services for Refugees
How can we achieve more sustainable financing of psychosocial services for asylum seekers?
A high percentage of asylum seekers suffer from mental health problems, either rooting from the situation in their country of origin, the migration process, or post-migratory stressors. The Swiss health system is not well adapted to provide psychiatric care to these individuals. As a result, asylum seekers might end up in inpatient stays in psychiatric clinics, which are very expensive but have only limited effectiveness for these patients. The international literature shows that psychosocial services (if needed in combination with outpatient psychiatric therapy) are much more effective for this target group. Additionally, this treatment would most likely be less costly. Unfortunately, it is unclear who should cover the costs of psychosocial services, resulting in frustrating situations for providers of such services, social workers and the concerned individuals. This Policy Brief will formulate recommendations to develop more sustainable financing solutions for psychosocial services.
If there is a more effective kind of treatment which would also decrease health care costs, we really need to overcome administrative boundaries keeping us from choosing this way of treatment. Mélanie Stamm, author of the Policy Brief
Author: Mélanie Stamm
Institution: ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften
E-Mail: stmm@zhaw.ch
If you are interested in the topic please contact us.
