Linking mental health policy in Austria to other policy fields

Generally speaking, Austria has a differentiated, accessible health system. There are, however, capacity gaps in mental health care. Responsibilities, financing, and service provision are fragmented and centred on inpatient care, making the system costly and inefficient. There are significant regional differences in psychiatric treatment, with serious shortcomings in specialised services for children and adolescents. Mental health rehabilitation is widespread but mostly hospital-based. Despite considerable resources, waiting times for psychotherapy are long. And psychiatric treatment disregards work. This chapter discusses the main problems in Austrian mental health care and examines the system’s potential for improving job retention and returns to work among people with mental health problems.