Operation of Mental Health Centres (CZP) in Poland during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Abstract

The aim of the study is to characterise the changes in the operation of the Mental Health Centers (CZPs) in Poland during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Changing the concept of psychiatric care and moving towards a community model under the CZPs is, inter alia, no need to present and implement strictly defined schedules by service providers, which allows to respond to the current needs of patients and allows for the adaptation of the conditions and methods of providing psychiatric care services in Poland during pandemic. On the basis of the experiences from the pandemic period, recommendations were presented the aim of which is improving work organisation of the CZPs in Poland. A new map of mental health services' organisation following the peak of the pandemic in Poland is urgently needed. Well-functioning community care fosters good understanding of patients' needs, which means that even in a situation of, for instance, there is no element of surprise and there are known channels and methods of reacting to an emergency situation. The pilot CZPs quickly and easily adapted their response methods to the changing or new needs/new circumstances. As part of the activities in the field of psychiatric care reforms in Poland, it seems appropriate, at the present stage, to use all observations and information on the operation and organisation of work of entities that were included during pandemic in the CZP pilot programme in order to continuously improve the functioning of a new model of mental healthcare.