engleski

Psychosomatic medicine in Croatia

Croatia is ten years after the war still a country in which increases a proportion of a population over 65, and decreases a part of population younger than 14 years of age. Most demographic dana like infant and perinatal mortality of life expectancy at birth are similar to average dana of other European countries. Percent of GDP spent for health care is among highest in Europe, but still because of low GDP is not sufficient to cover the increasing expenses for health care system. Statutory health insurance is covering 99% of medical services and 90% of drugs expenditures, and more than 60% of population is free of co-payment. Number of patients with psychosomatic diseases is, like in every post-war country, quite high, but the process of integrating psychosomatics in medical practice is slow and non-systematic. In medical schools and universities psychology is rarely incorporated in curriculum as an elective subject. Primary care physicians and physicians in other specilaistic trainings have not obligatory courses for psychosomatic medicine although some elective possibilities do exist. In some clinical hospitals psychologists are parts of teams in pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, psychiatry and oncology. There were founded also first departments of psychological medicine at some university centers. The main problem connected with integration of psychology and medicine is not only a financial reason, but also rigid and conservative approach of many medical authorities. From year 2002. in Croatia exists Croatian Society for Psychosomatic Research with numerous activities and ideas to improve position of psychosomatic medicine.

Psychosomatic diseases; Croatia; health care system

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