Politico highlights a question BFAP has been asking for years: is mental health care given the same priority as physical care? Within the European institutions, this is currently not the case.
Belgian outpatient psychiatrists treat a large portion of EU institutional staff and see the consequences firsthand. In our clinical practice, approximately 80% of the EU employees we treat report some form of bullying or harassment at work. We also observe increased suicidality among these patients.
Workplace bullying leaves deep scars. A Norwegian review of 29 studies showed that, on average, 57% of victims experience post-traumatic stress symptoms above the clinical threshold. When damage is caused by the work environment, it should be eligible for recognition as an occupational disease.
Nevertheless, the EU staff health insurance, the JSIS, provides limited reimbursement for psychiatric care. A psychiatric consultation is reimbursed up to a ceiling of 60 euros, despite lasting approximately three times longer than a standard specialist consultation. Per hour of care, this amounts to roughly two-thirds less reimbursement than for physical care. Reimbursement ceases after twelve psychiatric consultations, even for patients with suicidal ideation. It is precisely at such moments that continuity of care is vital.
Employers have a duty of care toward their staff. The Staff Regulations of European officials prohibit harassment and mandate that institutions assist their personnel. Furthermore, in 2023, the European Commission stated that mental health must be placed on an equal footing with physical health. The European institutions can be the first to apply this principle to their own staff. Staff unions are also calling for a revision of the reimbursement ceilings and the limit on the number of sessions.
BFAP consistently advocates in Belgium and Europe for the equal treatment of physical and mental health care: equal access, equal reimbursement, and a treatment duration guided by clinical need.
Read more in Politico: https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/we-need-to-talk-about-friedrich/