Annual of social work, Vol. 22 No. 2, 2015.
Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.3935/ljsr.v22i2.47
MENTAL HEALTH AS A POLITICAL PROBLEM IN CROATIA
Miranda Novak
; Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences , University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ana Petek
orcid.org/0000-0002-9553-8334
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Systematic mental health policy, characterized by a holistic approach to mental health, has been present on the agenda of the European institutions, but is yet to be addressed as an important political issue in Croatia. The aim of this paper is to explore the Croatian policy on mental health in order to provide information for a debate in the scientific and professional community, encourage additional research on mental health and possibly contribute to the development of the policy itself. This research focuses on the question of which prerequisites must be met for mental health in Croatia to become a more important political issue. The paper proposes a model based on Kingdon’s theory of interdependencies between three process flows in establishing a policy agenda. Therefore, it explores how the current situation affects the question of placing a systematic mental health policy on the formal political agenda. Data were collected on the main actors of the Croatian mental health policy, indicators of the state of mental health in Croatia, functioning of the current system of mental health care, perception of mental health in Croatia, Croatian political parties’ positions on mental health, conflicts of interest and on the proposals of Croatian mental health professionals. The main finding of the paper is that currently there are no prerequisites for placing a systematic national mental health policy on the agenda of political priorities in Croatia.
Keywords
mental health policy; public policy agenda; positive mental health; mental health promotion; prevention of mental disorders
Hrčak ID:
147573
URI
Publication date:
5.10.2015.
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