Psychiatric care

Since its early days ÖBIG has dealt with the further development of psychiatric care. Over the past two decades, great changes have been caused by the considerable reduction in the number of beds in acute inpatient departments, by decentralised psychiatric clinics established in general hospitals and by new care structures created in outpatient care, to name but a few important developments.

GÖG/ÖBIG has assisted these developments in a number of planning projects at federal and provincial levels. Planning is oriented towards an intersectoral and transregional perspective, as especially in psychiatric care, health care services and social services are closely linked. Planning activities are based on social psychiatry principles. Approaches favouring decentralisation and regional activities, and easy-access, low-threshold services that meet the demands and needs of patients are of special importance.

Recently, psychiatric care for children and young people has been integrated into the Austrian Health Care Structure Plan (ÖSG 2008).