The psyche crisis: Trier fights for long waiting times for therapies!

In the Trier region, the demand for mental help increases, while the treatment places are rare and the waiting times for therapies are considerably long. So the SWR Aktuell are.

Ute Schmidt (58) from Trier is an example of the growing number of people who rely on psychological help. After separating from her partner, she has to deal with serious psychological problems. She has been waiting for a therapy place for two years and was in a psychiatry in the meantime for three months. She is currently visiting the café stop, an emergency accommodation for homeless women, which is operated by the Social Service of Catholic Women Trier e.V. There she receives essential support, including sleeping places, washing facilities, computer access and advice and support for authorities.

increasing demand and overloaded institutions

Regina Bergmann, the head of the café, reports on an increasing number of women who are looking for psychological help. At the same time, the psychiatry in the Borromäerinnen clinic in Trier is heavily overloaded, with an average occupancy of 110% in 2024. A central problem is the difficulties of finding therapy places in psychotherapists with cash registration. Therefore, the café stopped to collect donations to partially finance psychotherapy.

The situation is tightened by the limited number of resident psychiatrists, neurologists and psychotherapists in the region. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, which is responsible for planning needs, has limited the number of psychotherapists in rural regions. Against this background, the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians calls for a change in the law to improve the supply situation in Trier.

Another report of the Caritas region Trier confirms the need for individual help for people with mental illnesses. Many affected people have difficulty using professional psychiatric help, and psychological crises are widespread. The causes of mental illnesses are diverse, including physical exhaustion, failed relationships and long -lasting unemployment. The offers of help in the region include information, advice, day -structuring offers and support in everyday life, whereby the goal is the self -determination of those affected and their participation in social life.