More than 200 people participated on Wednesday, April 10, in the conference “Mental Health and Intellectual Disability. Moving Forward Together” held at Berga Hospital, organized by various social and healthcare entities with the aim of making communication more accessible between healthcare professionals and users.
Through presentations and an experience panel, various local stakeholders working in the field of mental health participated to share knowledge and best practices to improve communication and treatment for people with intellectual disabilities. 64 professionals attended in person, and 145 followed online.
The session was inaugurated and welcomed by Alba Oms, delegate of the Ministry of Health and manager of the Central Catalonia Health Region of the Catalan Health Service; Antònia Baraldés, manager of Berga Hospital; Josefina Ramírez, director of Social Rights of the Generalitat in Central Catalonia; and Ester Comellas, manager of Fundació La Llar.
The first presentation was delivered virtually by Israel Belchi, Project Manager for Health and IDD and Independent Living Project at Dincat, who explained “Practical Guides for the Health of People with Intellectual Disabilities.” The second presentation was led by Dr. Laura Plans, Psychiatrist at the Mental Health Division of Fundació Althaia, who presented the 3rd Granés Fundació Dialogues Booklet: “Mental Health Intellectual Disability/2.” The third and final presentation was given by Dr. Ramon Novell, Head of the Specialized Service in Mental Health and Intellectual Disability, Girona Healthcare Institute, who explained the Fàcil-IAS project: “50% of health problems are not detected and affect the quality of life and emotional well-being of people with intellectual disabilities.”
The second part of the session was an experience panel, with the participation of healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers) and first-person testimonies who explained some of the situations they had encountered when visiting the doctor.
Participants included: Anabel Guillén, First-person Testimony from Fundació Horitzó del Berguedà; Asunción Sánchez, First-person Testimony from Fundació La Llar; Maria Llum Marín, Family Doctor at EAP Alt Berguedà of ICS Central Catalonia; Marta Puig, Social Worker at Fundació La Llar; Anna Gallego, Emergency Nurse at Berga Hospital; Carles Barcons, Psychologist at CSMA and CASD del Berguedà; María José Moreno, Psychologist at Althaia Mental Health Area; and Dr. Laura Plans, who moderated the panel.
“They spoke to the monitor and didn’t look at me, it was as if I wasn’t there,” “now I go to the doctor alone, and if I don’t understand something, I ask if they can repeat it,” “they spoke a very strange language, I had to change my family doctor,” “I didn’t understand the explanations about the medication,” “I want them to speak more slowly to me,” “they told me that if I didn’t understand, they would repeat it as many times as needed, and that helped me a lot,” were some of the examples they provided.
After listening to the shared experiences, the importance of person-centered care was highlighted. The need for professionals to actively listen and empathize with patients was emphasized, focusing on their individual needs and concerns.
Projects such as those developed by Dincat and other methods aimed at improving care for people with disabilities or mental health conditions were mentioned. It was proposed that professionals should have access to materials and information that facilitate more efficient and inclusive care, for better preparation before attending to the individual.
The conference was organized by Dincat, Fundació La Llar, Granés Fundació, Berga Hospital, and ICS Central Catalonia, with the collaboration of Fundació Horitzó del Berguedà, Germanes Hospitalàries, Fundació Althaia, Catalan Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, and Girona Healthcare Institute.
Following the success of this first edition, the desire for the conference to continue was made clear, with the aim that all entities and organizations in the field of health and care for people with intellectual disabilities can coordinate, build community networks, collaborate, train together, and improve communication and treatment with users.
