The World Health Organization defines mental health policy as a set of principles, values, and goals designed to improve mental health and reduce the social burden of mental disorders. It recommends countries to develop mental health policies, action plans, and programs because mental health is closely related to human development and quality of life, mental disorders constitute a significant burden of disease worldwide, and the participation of many different sectors is required to implement mental health-related initiatives.
The National Mental Health Action Plan (URSEP) (2011-2023), prepared based on the National Mental Health Policy Text published by the Ministry of Health in 2006, aims to establish a mental health service network that meets the needs of individuals and provides adequate service with appropriate methods. There are nine goals planned in the field of mental health in URSEP and strategies and targets for achieving these goals. In this action plan, where URSEP (2011-2023) is revised, necessary updates are made within the scope of changing needs in the field of mental health and international examples, and the goals, targets and indicators covering the years 2021-2023 are determined.
In mental health services, an individual-centered approach should be adopted that will support people with mental health problems to continue their lives in a way that will eliminate the need for hospitalization or minimize the length of their hospital stay. Only in this way will it be possible to reduce admissions to mental health hospitals and to reduce the number of hospitals needed in the field of mental health and reshape them towards providing specialized tertiary health services.
In order to strengthen the provision of community-based and holistic mental health services, the Action Plan includes activities to ensure coordination with primary care services, community-based services, social care services and secondary and tertiary mental health services.
The ultimate goal of the Action Plan has been determined as “To implement an integrated community-based mental health service model in mental health services, to monitor, protect and improve the mental health of individuals.” 40 activities, 87 indicators and targets have been determined to achieve the ultimate goal.
1. Strengthening services for the promotion of mental health
2. Strengthening preventive and primary mental health services
3. Strengthening community-based mental health services
4. Development of services provided in hospitals and inpatient treatment services
5. Development of long-term care and rehabilitation services
6. Development of forensic psychiatry and high security forensic psychiatry units
7. Service areas requiring special planning and development of existing mental health programs