Portugal

“Day of Psychology in the European Institutions” organised by the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association

January 30, 2019 - Brussels

The Portuguese Psychologists’ Association (OPP) organized an event entitled "European Psychologists as a resource to face European society major challenges". The event organized in Brussels in partnership with other professional associations aimed to inform representatives of the European institutions of the role psychology can play in the fight against climate change and integration of refugees, as well as well-being and employment.

The psychologists that attended the event said that they have a relevant role to play as a resource to face the main challenges of European society and want to “inform and raise awareness” of European Commission officials and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) about this availability.  

There are areas in which psychology can make a valuable contribution. Two are central: motivate and mobilize citizens for the behavioural changes needed to prevent and mitigate the effect of climate change and to support the integration of refugees in Europe. “If we try to solve the psychological needs of people and the great challenges only in our country, we will not be able to do it. That is why we need to share and discuss (these issues) at European level”, argued OPP’s President Francisco Miranda Rodrigues at the opening of the meeting in Brussels. As “specialists in human behaviour, we can make a decisive contribution to climate change issues,” exemplified the head of the meeting - which was promoted with the support of MEP Sofia Ribeiro. Damien Meadows of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action agreed with this perspective, stressing that “we need to help companies move in the right direction.”  

At a time when mental health is “a priority”, the European Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis, emphasized the need for a “holistic approach” and recalled that “psychologists are playing a vital role in non-medical treatment”. Meanwhile, Katarina Ivankovic-Kneevic of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs, asked: “Are we prepared for the disappearance of millions of jobs and to deal with the new addictions? Will we have enough psychologists to deal with this? “.

Telmo Mourinho Baptista, EFPA’s President, also participated in this event, as well as Pekka Pesonen (Secretary General of Copa-Cogeca), Mairead McGuiness (Vice-President of European Parliament & Member of AGRI Committee), Teresa Espassandim (Board Member of OPP), Matthias Oel (DG HOME Director for Migration, Mobility and Innovation, European Commission), Bruno Brito (APAV, Portugal), Anders Wahlberg (President of Swedish Psychological Association), Margarida Gaspar de Matos (FMH / ISAMB, University of Lisbon), Koen Lowet (Director for the Flemish Association for Clinical Psychologists), Sarb Bajwa (Chief Executive of British Psychological Society), David Uzzell (University of Sussexand), Angela Carter (European Association of Work and Organisation Psychology) and Óscar Cortijo (Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera; Vice-President of COP Valencia). 

Click to see the video 

After this event, OPP met with some of the main European policy makers, such as the European Commissioner Carlos Moedas (Research, Science and Innovation) and MPEP Portuguese, in order to involve Psychology in the definition of public policies.

OPP also organised meetings with European Commissioner Arias Canete (Climate Action and Energy), Antonina Rousseva (cabinet of Commissioner Karmenu Vella - Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries), Jean-Philipe Gammel (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics - Education, Culture, Youth and Sport) and Jean Eric Paquet Director-General (Research and Innovation).

In all these meetings the connection and importance of Psychology in the respective areas was emphasized.

Francisco Miranda Rodrigues and Telmo Mourinho Baptista also met with Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament. 

Click to see the video 

From left to right:  Telmo Mourinho Baptista, President of EFPA; Sofia Ribeiro, Member of European Parliament; Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament; Francisco Miranda Rodrigues, President of the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association.   

By

Duarte Zoio

Norway

The seven mental health rights 

January 7,2019 - Oslo 

What is needed to build good mental health? What elements must be in place? Psychologist and professor of health psychology - Arne Holte - has boiled the message down to what he calls "The seven mental health rights".

Click to watch the video 

Norway

A step towards legally binding pre-declarations on medication in mental health in Norway

February 6, 2019 - Oslo 

The Norwegian Psychological Association has decided to advocate to make legally binding pre-declarations a part of the legislation in mental health care. "The implementation must be done in a proper and good way," the decision states.

These declarations shall ensure the patient's gets a legal right to reserve against certain types of treatment. These can be different forms of treatment, but it is especially the use of coercive medication with antipsychotics that has been the focus of the debate. The declarations are meant to be a clear indication of the type of treatment the patient does not want, even if they are under compulsory mental health care. The declarations must be made at a time when the patient receives voluntary help or is in no need of help.

Not Anti Psychiatry – but pro patient autonomy

Human rights considerations and respect for the individual's autonomy lie behind the decision, says President of the psychological association, Tor Levin Hofgaard. He stresses that the Norwegian Psychological Association, and psychologists in the health services have a great working relationship with psychiatrists, and that the position of the board of the association is not an anti-psychiatry decision. We simply acknowledge that having legislation for mental health that does not grant those patients the same rights as those with somatic health problems when it comes to autonomy is against human rights, he says.

It is an overarching principle that health care should be given voluntarily. Hofgaard believes that the pre-declarations will be an important confidence-building tool that enables people who today refuse to seek help for fear of being subjected to coercion, nevertheless choose to participate in treatment options.

First steps

In Norway the psychologists dominate the mental health field. Outnumbering psychiatrists and having the same independent responsibility for treatment (except medication) as psychiatrist do. Psychologists head mental health wards, clinics and even hospitals. This means that it matters that the Psychological Association now has taken this position, Hofgaard says. It is still early days for this kind of reform of the legislation, but we will now start advocating for this towards decision makers and other professional organizations. We believe we are on the right side on this matter, and are happy to collaborate with many patient organizations on this, he concludes.