Poster & Abstract

The Czech Republic is a high-income country in Eastern Europe with a history of communist influence (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d.). Despite their universal health coverage (European Commission, 2016), a majority of Czech residents who struggle with mental health do not utilize services (Kagstrom et al., 2019). To explore this issue, this study examined lay perceptions of mental health care, including opinions about effects of the country’s history, most significant barriers to accessing care, experiences with professionals, and suggestions for systemic improvement. College students between 18-24 years in Prague, the capital city, completed an anonymous online survey with fixed-response and open-ended questions (N=38). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, while an inductive content analysis was applied for qualitative data. Over half of participants reported historical stigma or communist influence on mental health care and unreceptive familial opinions. Of the participants who had received mental health services, they found the process of finding a professional as somewhat difficult and nearly half would not see one again. Although mental health professionals were viewed as welcoming questions and feedback, cultural misunderstandings with patients, and lack of explaining the therapeutic approach used were also reported. The common barriers to accessing care were availability and cost, stigma, minimal education and awareness, and language. The common suggestions for improving care were emphasizing education and awareness, modernizing the system overall, more open-minded approaches, and expanding non-Czech language options. The current findings can inform mental health policy decisions and provision of mental health care.