'Mental health law' demanded: 'A universal right'

The Turkish Psychiatric Association (TPD) is holding its 61st National Psychiatry Congress in Ankara. The congress, which began the day before yesterday, will conclude on October 26. The main topic and theme of this year's congress is "Preventive Mental Health and Equal and Accessible Treatment from the Individual to Society." Association members held a press conference during the congress, sharing the views and assessments of the Turkish Psychiatric Association on key topics covering national and global agendas with the public.

Speaking at the meeting were TPD President Prof. Dr. Serap Erdoğan Taycan, TPD Vice President Prof. Dr. Ejder Akgün Yıldırım, TPD Treasurer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülin Özdamar Ünal, TPD Education Secretary Spec. Dr. Uğur Çıkrıkçılı, TPD Organization Secretary Spec. Dr. Şahut Duran, TPD General Secretary Dr. Gülsüm Zuhal Kamış, and TPD MYK Assistant Physician Secretary Assistant Dr. Alperen Yıldız.

"IT IS LEAVING, AND WILL LEAVE, HEAVY MARKS"

Speaking about war-related mental health problems, TPD President Prof. Dr. Serap Erdoğan Taycan said, “The lack of adequate response and the failure of world governments to exert the necessary pressure to prevent genocide not only causes us to experience the sadness and helplessness of not being able to help those in need, but also robs us of our own sense of a safe future.”

"Both the acute and long-term effects of trauma lead to psychological problems that can last for generations. The ongoing massacres and destruction in Gaza, the West Bank, Yemen, Lebanon, Ukraine, and many other parts of the world are leaving, and will continue to leave, profound scars on the collective memory and spiritual world of all humanity. We must understand that mental and physical well-being is only possible by protecting one another, in line with shared human values ​​and universal human rights, and by giving voice to those whose voices are limited," he said.

'THERE SHOULD BE NO CHILD LABOR'

Vice President Prof. Dr. Ejder Akgün Yıldırım stated that mental health is a universal human right, saying, “Mental health should be considered not only in terms of therapeutic but also preventive, protective, and developmental services. Creating a protective and preventative environment for mental health should be a priority for everyone. If a society is to be mentally healthy, our goal should be to prevent diseases through a national program such as preventive mental health services, and to ensure that society lives in equality, peace, and security. For example, there should be no child labor. Women should not be killed. People should not be deprived of their right to treatment because of their identity.”

'RISK TO THE HEALTH SYSTEM'

TPD Treasurer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülin Özdamar Ünal also addressed the issue of access to medications. She emphasized that the unavailability of many medications in pharmacies and their prolonged inability to obtain them both disrupt treatment processes and negatively impact patients' mental well-being. Ünal noted that market shortages sometimes force physicians to resort to inappropriate alternatives, reducing the effectiveness of treatment and posing a serious risk to patients and the healthcare system.

'SPIRITUAL COUNSELING SHOULD BE ENDED'

TPD Education Secretary Specialist Dr. Uğur Çıkrıkçılı spoke about the practice of "spiritual counseling." Emphasizing their opposition to any attempt to alienate mental health services from their secular, scientific, and ethical foundations, Çıkrıkçılı stated, "For the sake of protecting public health, practices conducted under the guise of spiritual counseling should be terminated, and these services should not be included within the mental health system."

'It negatively impacts access to mental health services'

TPD Organizing Secretary Specialist Dr. Şahut Duran stated that private physicians face administrative and financial regulations that negatively impact their ability to continue their professions. Recalling that physicians' right to independent practice is guaranteed by the Constitution, Duran said, “The private practice model is a crucial component of the Turkish healthcare system. The heavy financial burdens imposed on this model, increased monitoring practices, and registration pressures negatively impact both professional motivation and the public's access to quality mental health care.”

TPD Secretary General Dr. Gülsüm Zuhal Kamış spoke on the subject of "discrimination based on sexual identity." Kamış stated, "Social peace and spiritual well-being are only possible in a society where everyone can live equally, freely, and with dignity. In the light of science, justice, and human rights, we oppose all forms of discrimination based on sexual identity."

'A MENTAL HEALTH LAW MUST BE ENACTED'

Dr. Alperen Yıldız, assistant physician secretary of the Turkish Medical Board (TPD), also spoke about "Social Violence and Children Being Driven to Crime." Yıldız stated that the murder of women and children, regardless of the form taken, is simply "evil," and continued, "When naming this evil, failing to mention the political foundation and the culture of impunity that fuel it will only further reinforce the language of social violence. Mental health is not limited to treatment; it must be implemented with an equality-based and rights-focused approach that prevents stigma. In this context, the Mental Health Law must be implemented without delay. In this social climate where violence has become commonplace and individual gun ownership is widespread, all legal regulations, especially the Istanbul Convention, must be implemented in accordance with social needs, and a zero-tolerance policy against violence at all levels must be adopted."