TFL Vsebine / Revija Revus

Po 51. členu ustave ima vsak med nami pravico do zdravstvenega varstva. Žal pa se ob tem prepogosto pozablja na zdravje kot neločljiv preplet človekovega telesnega in duševnega stanja ter v povezavi s tem tudi na vzporedno varstvo duševnega zdravja. In vendar je prav duševno počutje tisto, ki morda najbolj neposredno vpliva na kakovost bolnikovega življenja, ne glede na diagnozo. Glede na visoko stopnjo pojavnosti duševnozdravstvenih težav ob telesnih boleznih in ob upoštevanju negativnih vplivov motenj, kot je denimo depresija, na motivacijo, potek in učinkovitost telesnega zdravljenja pa problematike nikakor ne gre spregledati. Članek osredotočeno govori o skrbi za eno samo zdravje, z željo, da bi zdravstvena nega v tem duhu nekoč postala pravilo, ne zgolj dobrodošla izjema, v okviru standardne bolnišnične oskrbe. Nujni pogoj za to pa sta ustrezno razumevanje zdravja kot temeljne človekove pravice in zavedanje družbene odgovornosti pri zagotavljanju visoke stopnje zaščite te pravice.

The well-known saying ‘good old times’ does not apply to our understanding of the relationship between somatic and mental health, as a sharply dichotomous view on both has been supported for a long time throughout human history. Nowadays, however, we are aware that both represent two dimensions of one health only. Without somatic wellbeing there can be no optimal psychological wellbeing and vice versa. And yet we are still missing a wholistic outlook on treatment and rehabilitation when it comes to standard hospital or outpatient assessment of somatic disorders. Yet, it is the dimension of mental wellbeing that is perhaps most closely associated with the patient’s quality of life regardless of the diagnosis. The more severe the somatic health problem(s), the more important it is to dedicate a sufficient attention to the patient’s mental state and overall psychological functioning. It is people suffering from a somatic disease who represent a particular risk group in terms of mental disorders such as clinical depression and anxiety. If comorbidity of the somatic and mental disorder is present, a somatic treatment might not be efficient or not efficient at all. By taking the high prevalence of mental health problems in case of the somatic disease into account and acknowledging the negative influence of disorders, such as depression, on the patient’s motivation as well as the process and effectiveness of the somatic treatment, the problem is certainly not to be overlooked or underestimated.