Ordem dos Psicólogos

SIC

«We are wasting precious resources during a crisis»

04.April.2012

In an interview, in the Morning Programme, Telmo Mourinho Baptista guarantees that there is a shortage of psychologists to meet the minimum needs of the population.

The President of the Ordem dos Psicólogos (OPP) confirms that resources are being wasted during a crisis and which should be being used to the maximum. Telmo Mourinho Baptista was the guest on the Morning Programme on SIC, on Tuesday, and guaranteed that the country does not have psychologists placed in sufficient numbers to comply with the minimum needs of the population.

And in health centre and school, this is more dramatic. For more than 400 health centre, there are only 221 psychologists, which means less than one psychologist per unit. Schools have lost almost 200 psychologists, only this academic year, which has led to the interruption of many intervention plans which were in progress.

At a time in which the population is more vulnerable because of the crisis the country is going through, it is urgent to reinforce the units which have front line contact with the population. For the President, only with this can we contradict the increase in depression, anxiety, sick leave, suicide, that the country is experiencing.

See the full interview here.