Approved the Law establishing for the first time the Basic Psychologist Service. The health service from the point of view of the psychological health of the person.
The demand for psychology was already very high and with the Covid-19 it has increased further. The causes are poverty, economic deprivation, unemployment, behavior problems with consequent increases in public health expenditure, job loss and reduced productivity. Tuscany is the first region in periodic growth for annual consumption of antidepressants.
Hence the approval of the law establishing for the first time the Basic Psychologist Service fills this gap. The Law approved by the Tuscany Region promotes assistance models with the creation of health and social services. These are multi-professional territorial healthcare models for the care of a person’s psychological health.
The Basic Psychologist will work in the Community Houses in synergy with the territory and basic medicine for valid support to citizens. The service is set up to carry out primary psychological assistance activities and collaborate with general practitioners and paediatricians. A first level of assistance is envisaged with a program of psychological support with second-level structures competent at a territorial level. To access the Basic Psychologist, just request a consultation from the general practitioner, the pediatrician of free choice or another specialist. Psychologists will initially be freelancers in relation to the Local Health Authorities, with a subsequent implementation of psychological assistance by the Regional Health Service.
The required requisites are a degree in Psychology, enrollment in the register of Psychology section A. Then the absence of dependency relationships with public service structures and further specific skills identified by the Regional Council. Financial coverage of 350,000 euros is envisaged for each year (2023-2024). Understanding the psychological needs of the population means creating a service with adaptive responses, preventing the disorder from becoming serious and unsolvable. A method for prevention . A fundamental conquest in terms of regional health history for Tuscany so that it can become national law.
- A historic turning point: Tuscany establishes the Territorial Basic Psychology Service (quotidianosanita.it)
