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There is a need of reforming mental health services in Kazakhstan. The basis of the concept of reforming mental health services lies in the following focus areas and activities:
Focus Area 1. Strengthening of mental well-being:
activities in the ante-perinatal period; promoting mental health in schools; promoting mental health at workplace; conducting public awareness campaigns and participation of staff of psychiatric ambulance services in this work.
Focus Area 2. Ensuring the significant role of mental health.
Focus Area 3. Reducing stigmatization and discrimination.
Focus Area 4. Organization of services to support and adapt to different stages of life.
Focus Area 5. Prevention of preventable mental health problems: adopt a state program on suicide prevention among the population of the RK; revise qualifications of specialists as relates to vesting them with responsibilities to identify mental health problems.
Focus Area 6. Ensuring availability of rendering assistance to persons with mental health problems at all levels: ensure access to mental health services within PAS and provide care based on protocols of prevention, treatment and diagnosis.
Focus Area 7. Ensure the opportunity to offer effective services to people with severe mental health problems in a variety of conditions: arrange alternative types of specialized mental health care; develop training programs for family members and persons who look after mentally ill people.
Focus Area 8. Organization for Cooperation among different industries and sectors: develop joint orders for various departments in the field of mental health; review the mechanism of granting preferential treatment to employers who employ persons registered with a psychiatrist.
Focus Area 9. Human resource development in all industries: train specialists in the field of mental health in countries with best practices in the provision of care to people with mental disorders; promote cooperation and partnerships between researchers in various countries.
Focus Area 10. Creating an effective information system for mental health issues: deploy a register on mental health; develop new indicators to assess the state of mental health; measure baseline indicators and prevalence of key psychiatric disorders.
Focus Area 11. Ensuring fair and adequate funding for: assess effective distribution of financial resources; centralize medical supply of psychotropic drugs at country level.
Focus Area 12. Ensuring R&D activities in the area of mental health: study the burden of mental disorders; develop and select priority research programs; enhance international cooperation in the area of scientific research.