Türkiye has great commitment to tackling mental health issues, says WHO expert

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - There is great commitment by Turkish authorities at both the national and local level to tackle mental health issues, said an adviser at the UN World Health Organization.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Dr. Ledia Lazeri, a regional mental health adviser at WHO Europe, hailed Türkiye's efforts to tackle mental health difficulties.

According to the World Health Organization, mental health conditions are "incredibly common, with around 1 in 6 people in the WHO European Region – or 155 million people – having a mental health condition."

As such conditions can affect anyone at any time in their lives, experts frequently stress the need for well-resourced mental health systems and adequate support for those who need it.

Saying that she has seen firsthand the experience and commitment by Turkish government and local authorities, Lazeri said that there "is great commitment by Turkish authorities both at the national level and at the local level."

"Türkiye has a very good National Action Plan" encompassing “every aspect of mental health systems development that starts with mental health policy,” she added, saying that the country's parliament is currently discussing national mental health law.

Lazeri said there is "booming of community mental health services, community mental health centers all over Türkiye. In addition to that, also, services like for instance, houses of hope, or daycare centers for people with mental health problems or intellectual disabilities. This goes hand in hand with involving and including people with mental health conditions and intellectual disabilities."

"Türkiye's actions in reforming its mental health systems and services (are) … very comprehensive,” she said.

“It includes policies, it includes legislation, it includes services, it includes people with lived experience. It includes training for staff, mental health professionals or social workers, psychologists, nurses, doctors that work in those services are all receiving training.”

As the second meeting of the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition, which concluded in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday, Lazeri said they were able to listen to those who have experience living with someone with mental health issues every day.

She said that they've had "guided visits into some mental health and intellectual disability services around Ankara ... We want our international guests to be able to see for themselves, the innovation in those services around Ankara."

In addition to the second meeting of the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition, Lazeri said there is also "the annual meeting of the project, supporting people with mental disabilities in Turkey, which is an EU-funded project, implemented by WHO in collaboration with the Health Ministry and with the Family and Social Policies Ministry."

"So for us in the WHO, this is a very, very significant event because it allows us to bring international experiences, face-to-face, with national developments in Turkey," she said, adding that one aspect of the meeting cannot be separated from the other as "there is a lot to learn from each side from each other."

"International exposure is very important, but so is local exposure," she added.