Shortcomings in child and adolescent psychiatry: Court of Audit confirms criticism by the Ombudsman Board

Social insurance must expand care

Although strategies are in place, "there is a lack of implementation", as the Court of Audit stated in its report "Child and adolescent psychiatry - care planning and implementation" published at the end of August. For example, social insurance services need to be expanded in line with demand. In an initial reaction to the ACA's criticism, the social insurance company emphasised that five outpatient clinics and five new outpatient clinics for child and adolescent psychiatry had recently been set up. Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz said in an ORF interview: "The improvements are at such a low level that they will not lead to a real improvement in the situation."

There are also major gaps in care for children and adolescents in hospitals. Far too few medical specialists are being trained and there is also a shortage of nursing staff. This is an area where the federal states and medical associations need to take action.

Gaps in hospital care too

The Austrian Ombudsman Board has identified shortcomings in the context of preventive human rights monitoring. This is carried out by six commissions directly in the psychiatric clinics, almost always unannounced. On the other hand, those affected complain directly to the Ombudsman Board, for example during consultation days. Achitz: "For example, we had the case of a young woman with anorexia nervosa, where there was practically no care available for her form of illness."

The shortcomings in hospital care, for which the federal states are responsible, and the shortcomings in paediatric and adolescent psychiatrists in private practice are linked. "There are illnesses where there is a long wait for inpatient admission, and once you have been admitted to hospital, there is very often a lack of follow-up care."

Care in a familiar environment

But there are also examples of success. For example, the Ombudsman Board positively emphasises the opening of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine at the Floridsdorf Clinic (Vienna). Patients are cared for and treated there on an outpatient and day-clinic basis. With the fourth of a total of six planned outpatient centres, which have been under construction since 2018, the City of Vienna is creating additional places for up to 600 patients per year. The aim is to ensure that children and adolescents can be cared for as close to home and in their familiar surroundings as possible in future.