As part of its ongoing support to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MoHSP) for the integration of mental health into primary health care (PHC), the Health for All Project (HAP) invited international mental health expert Dr Rembrant Aarts for a working visit to Albania from 16 to 20 June 2025. The aim of the visit was to assess how mental health services are being integrated into the PHC system, including their delivery through home-based care, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups and the elderly.
Throughout the mission, Dr Aarts engaged in a series of intensive meetings with representatives of the MoHSP, the Central and Regional Health Care Operators, Local Units of Health Care (LUHCs), multidisciplinary teams from socio-health centres, family medicine residents, and experts from the Institute of Public Health.
The discussions centred on:
– Assessing the capacity of health centres to manage mental health conditions, including through home care services, especially for vulnerable populations;
– Evaluating the role and potential of psychologists in providing quality mental health services, and their collaboration with doctors, nurses, and social workers;
– Reviewing the capacities of local health authorities to continue training efforts and monitor the implementation of the MoHSP-endorsed mental health guidelines following the end of the HAP project.
The visit concluded with a reflection session with the HAP team, laying the groundwork for the development of a final report. This report will provide practical recommendations to strengthen and sustain the integration of mental health services within the PHC system in Albania.
In line with the 2023–2026 Mental Health Action Plan, MoHSP has employed psycho-social staff in 102 of the country’s 365 health centres. Since 2024, HAP has been supporting the capacities of the Health Operators and LUHCs to integrate mental health services into PHC by providing specialised training for doctors, nurses, and psychologists from selected health centres. To support these training activities, HAP has developed the Guidelines for the Management of Mental Health Disorders in PHC. In parallel, a dedicated manual for psychologists working in PHC is currently being drafted and is expected to be published in the coming months.