Personalized and advanced psychiatry. This is what qualifies the expert centers in the matter, in the number of fifty throughout the territory. Despite their effectiveness, their existence is threatened. So we wanted to visit one, in Créteil.
There are 54 in France. Expert centers in psychiatry, supervised by the Fundamental Foundation, dedicated to mental health research and care, have been deployed since 2007 in psychiatric hospitals. Their goal? Evaluate and support people with bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, resistant depression or autism spectrum disorders, on orientation of the psychiatrist. The multidisciplinary expertise via an in -depth assessment over several days guarantees a sharp diagnosis and personalized follow -up.
Change in funding mode
Unfortunately, these structures are threatened with closing due to a change in their funding mode. “While psychiatry needs are more pressing than ever, it is necessary to guarantee perennial funding to ensure the continuity of these essential devices”alerts the fundamental foundation. To understand the functioning of these devices, Handicap.fr Visited one of these centers, based at the Albert-Chenevier Hospital (AP-HP) in Créteil (Val-de-Marne).
A check-up deepen
We notably followed Patricia, who lives with a bipolar disorder. Since she was followed, she has found the right molecule that regulates her mood disorder and has avoided mania episodes. At the Expert Center, Patricia and the other patients benefit from in-depth check-ups, on the physical and mental level: nursing examinations, detailed psychiatric consultation, neuropsychological tests, collegial discussion and individualized recommendations. This annual monitoring makes it possible to adapt the care to maximize recovery and social integration.
Help
Beyond care, these centers collect precious clinical and paraclinical data in anonymized form, “In order to participate in the progress of mental health research”, Assures Professor Baptiste Pignon. Despite their demonstrated efficiency-they decrease by 50 % of the days of re-hospitalization 12 months after a visit to the center-the psychiatrist at the Albert-Chenevier de Créteil hospital deplores the lack of funding which could force the sustainability of the center, even though the government declared the year 2025 like that of mental health, “Great national cause” (Mental health, great cause 2025: underestimated subject and taboo). “This decision was welcomed by the profession. Now we are waiting for the evidence ”, says Pr gignon.
© Clotilde Costil
“All reproduction and representation rights reserved. © Handicap.fr. This article was written by Clotilde Costil, journalist Handicap.fr”