How Mental Health is Treated in Europe vs US

How Mental Health is Treated in Europe vs US

[Music] [Music] now I have family members dealing with severe mental disorders some that need living assistance and it really hits home for me when people disregard uh people struggling with mental illness and just walk past them living on the streets every day in fact about 30% of people that are chronically homeless um in the United States have mental conditions it makes me think to myself how could we abandon these people that need our help so much there is a severe shortage of inpatient care in the United States for people with mental illness and um it’s amounting to a Public Health crisis this is probably one of the heaviest videos that I’ve ever made and probably one that I am the most passionate about however in this video I’m going to explore if mental health is treated any better in [Music] Europe [Music] now I know people are going to ask how can you compare the country of United States to the entire continent of Europe and I am more comparing the US to the European Union which I believe is comparable because Mental Health Services in the US are primar barely the responsibility of individual states as an American I’ve always heard these myths that there are much less homeless in Europe than the United States and when Europeans I would meet would come visit they would be shocked at the amount of people living on the streets in the US some European nations often have more comprehensive social safety nets and support systems for those experiencing homelessness however there is definitely variation among European countri countries according to an article from housing first Europe Finland is the only country in the European Union where the number of homeless people is on the decline countries like Finland have adopted Innovative approaches to reduce homelessness significantly finland’s housing first model which prioritizes providing stable housing to individuals experiencing homelessness has shown promising results in reducing homelessness for especially those that are mentally ill Norway has also implemented similar strategies to address homelessness effectively however some countries like the UK Germany France Italy and Spain continue to have major issues with homelessness but when it comes to Mental Health Services these European countries are recognized for their strong mental health services and support systems Sweden is often praised for its comprehensive approach to mental health with welld velop services and a focus on early intervention and prevention Denmark has a strong emphasis on Mental Health Services and strives to reduce the stigma associated with mental issues the country offers accessible and highquality Care the Netherlands has a well-developed mental health system that includes a broad range of services from outpatient care to inpatient treatment Norway has a commitment to promoting mental well-being and provides a comprehensive range of Mental Health Service to its citizens Finland is recognized for its innovative approach to mental health with initiatives aimed at reducing mental health disparities and ensuring access to care but many countries in Europe are definitely far behind and still developing their Mental Health Services here in Portugal when I speak with locals I often hear that there is a lack of Mental Health resources however there is certainly still access to state funded Mental Health Services and Mental Hospitals and one of the most important things to mention in contrast to the United States is that Pharmaceuticals for treating mental health is a fraction of the cost in Europe than in the United States moving to a new place uh especially a new country without your friends and family and comfort zone can certainly make you feel isolated but luckily I found betterhelp the sponsor of today’s video betterhelp allows you to connect with a licensed therapist anywhere in the world who is trained to listen and give you helpful unbiased advice talking to someone is one of the most important things you can do for yourself finding a therapist that you can trust can be such a daunting task that most don’t even try the right therapist for you might not be in your area and some people can find the face-to-face interaction of therapy rather uncom comfortable with better help you can have your therapy sessions as a phone call a video chat or even via message if you’re more comfortable with that whatever is the most comfortable version of therapy for you better help can match you to one of over 30,000 therapists in their Network which gives you access to a wider range of expertise than may be available in your area to get started you fill out a questionnaire to help assess your specific needs and then you’ll get matched with a therapist in most cases within 48 hours or less you’ll be able to schedule your therapy sessions at a time that’s convenient for you if the therapist you’re match with doesn’t feel like the right fit which can be common when starting therapy you can easily switch to a new therapist at no additional cost without stressing about insurance who’s in your network or anything like that people spend hours in the gym every week so why not give your mind the same kind of attention there is real power in in talking to someone getting your thoughts out of your head can make the biggest difference over 4 million people have used better help to start living a healthier and happier life if you think you might benefit from therapy consider better help click the link in the description or visit betterhelp.com Davin Portugal and it also gets you 10% off betterhelp so you can connect with a therapist and see if it helps you [Music] in the United States a large number of individuals with mental health illnesses ended up in the criminal justice system leading to overcrowding in prisons and inadequate mental health care in these facilities The Disappearance of long-term care facilities and psychiatric beds has escalated over the past decade sparked by a trend toward de institutionalization of psychiatric patients in the 1950s and 1960s deinstitutionalization aimed to shift care from large centralized Mental Hospitals to community-based settings but many communities have struggled to to provide adequate resources and services for patients leading to unmet needs and gaps in care and the average American often believes that these services are much too expensive to even bother [Music] with I have had crippling waves of anxiety throughout my life there was a time when my anxiety was so bad that I had agoraphobia which is basically a fear of leaving your house because I would have uh crippling panic attacks that um felt like I was going to have a heart attack or a stroke or something a couple times I even admitted myself to a hospital these past couple years for me have been transformative in leaving my comfort zone behind and moving to a completely new country through basically an exposure therapy making this move to Europe for me was proof uh that I could could be out of my comfort zone and not be completely in control and still be perfectly okay this journey to Portugal has given me new life it’s given me opportunities to meet people that uh I never would have if I didn’t leave my comfort zone and go out into the world you never know what someone is going through they could be the happiest person on the outside but be struggling from within I think it’s very important that we just try in this world especially right now more than ever to be kind to each other and have compassion I’ll be posting videos on this channel about everyday life in Europe every week if it’s something you’re interested in you’re more than welcome to come along on the journey this is some guy named Dave in Portugal and we’ll see you next [Music] time [Music] a

If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our sponsor BetterHelp.
Click: https://betterhelp.com/daveinportugal for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy with a
licensed professional specific to your needs.

https://www.daveinportugal.com