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Legal and political priorities regarding the problem of mental health and suicide after the 2020 coronavirus pandemic

Professional Article

Legal and political priorities regarding the problem of mental health and suicide after the 2020 coronavirus pandemic

Professional Article

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Andraž Teršek, Faculty of Education, University of Primorska and European Faculty of Law, New University


Abstract

Mental health is considered to be one of the biggest and most serious health problems in Europe, especially (according to the statistical data) for the last decade and more (1, 2). And it is a serious problem in Slovenia also; putting - this must be especially emphasised – Slovenia near the top and in some recent years even on the top of the list of European States with the highest rate of suicides per capita (3, 4, 5). Slovenian public still awaits the information how many cases of suicide and suicide attempts were there during the Coronavirus pandemic (6).1 During the Coronavirus this health problem of the society as a whole has even deepened and expended. Publicly speaking psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists have confirmed such evaluation. Living conditions were hard to bear and damaging for people with depression, depressive disorder or other mental health problems. Especially since constitutional rights to freedom of movement and socializing were limited by Government Decree.2 Movement across the municipal borders was restricted, socializing strictly limited, sitting on benches in parks, streets and even in the natural parks or on the edges of the woods was prohibited. For any movement from one municipality to the other a single individual needed a special reason or special permission. Even though “the state of emergency” was not officially declared (the Constitution explicitly determines the conditions for such declaration and those conditions were not fulfilled)3 the exceptional circumstances of public life had an effect as if it has been declared. Slovenian citizens were living in de facto “state of emergency” and in quarantine.