SD wants to establish state psychiatric homes during the next term

During the next term of office, SD wants to investigate and start a comprehensive care reform, which involves establishing new state psychiatric homes.

- A kind of modern version of the mental hospital of old, says party leader Jimmie Åkesson at a press conference.

- This should be aimed at people who are in need of more long-term care and more of a permanent support in everyday life, where they are also given the opportunity for effective treatment and hopefully better health and everyday life.

Wants to capture vulnerable group

Psychiatric homes must offer "a housing solution" for people who have a history of, for example, repeated emergency visits, forced admissions or round-the-clock care in psychiatry.

- This is a major reform but it is absolutely necessary, says Åkesson, who believes that you can start on a smaller scale and scale up as you go.

The deinstitutionalization of psychiatry in Sweden began in the 1970s and culminated in the psychiatry reform in 1995, where large parts of the responsibility for the mentally ill was transferred from the county councils (today's regions) to the municipalities.

- The inpatient care places were not replaced with open care places and instead, relatives often had to take a great deal of responsibility for care, care and coordination. We want to change that, says Clara Aranda (SD), spokesperson for social security issues.

According to group leader Linda Lindberg (SD), it is about a vulnerable group that today "finds itself in a bind" and "falls through the cracks".

"Will build on volunteerism"

The party compares the new psychiatric homes to today's dementia homes. And it can be about both closed and open departments. The period of residence can also be permanent or determined according to the individual's needs.

- This must be based on volunteerism to the highest degree, says Lindberg.

She also points out that better psychiatric care also increases security in society at large. The Sweden Democrats also want to strengthen family support.

With the state as principal, a new authority would have to be established. SD states that it is ready to allocate "significant funds" for start-up and operation.

Some who are critical of the proposal are the Center Party, which believes that it would "take Swedish psychiatry back 50 years in time".

"Psychiatry's real crisis is a lack of resources, poor governance and patients falling through the cracks, not the lack of old-time institutions," writes Christofer Bergenblock, health policy spokesperson, to SVT.