The Dutch Psychiatric Association (NVvP) recognizes the picture that Tijdink paints. “Of course I also see the things that are mentioned”, says chairman Elnathan Prinsen. “You sometimes get stuck between the things you think are good for patient care and the things the organization expects from you.”
According to Prinsen, psychiatrists are expensive and scarce and that is why they are looking at how they can be used as little as possible. “Then you divide it so that the people who are the most scarce have to do the least.”
And that leads to a negative spiral, says Prinsen. “On the one hand, psychiatrists get the feeling that they cannot practice their profession to the fullest extent. And that is why they leave the mental health care institution, making them even scarcer.”
‘Hand in your own bosom’
According to Tijdink of De Jonge Psychiater, structural changes are needed for the profession. For example, he argues for better communication between institutions that forward patients.
“I think we can do a lot more by organizing ourselves and looking at: how can we ensure that patient care improves,” says Tijding. “But we also have to put our hands in our own bosom, because I think we let ourselves eat a little bit of the cheese off the bread.”
‘Psychiatrists also enthusiastic’
Prinsen of the NVvP also thinks that the role of the psychiatrist should be reconsidered. “The main thing is: where do you use them. You have to put psychiatrists at the front. Good diagnostics, good indications and then depending on the indication, also giving them a role in treatment.”
Despite all the issues that psychiatrists encounter, they are also satisfied, Prinsen adds. For example, almost all psychiatrists become very enthusiastic about the contact with patients. “The vast majority also feel that he or she can really mean something to patients.”
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