Public service More and more welfare recipients with mental health problems
Cities are increasingly confronted with welfare recipients with mental health problems. In a survey, 13 out of 14 cities stated that the proportion of such people with severe mental health problems had increased in the last five years.
29.10.2024, 10:00
SDA
"We have to assume that around half of our social welfare clients have mental health problems," explained Nicolas Galladé, President of the Cities Initiative for Social Policy and city councillor of Winterthur ZH, in a report published on Tuesday by the Cities Initiative for Social Policy.
The 14 participating cities estimated that a quarter of their clients are so mentally stressed that they are noticeably impaired in their everyday lives. The report includes large cities such as Zurich, Basel and Bern, but also smaller cities such as Biel, Chur and St. Gallen. Around a quarter of all social welfare recipients in Switzerland live in these 14 cities.
Too little time for complex cases
In most cities, the range of quickly available assessment and therapy options is inadequate, especially for children and adolescents, according to the report. In many places, there is also a lack of a systematic approach and sufficient time to support complex cases and coordinate cooperation between, for example, housing assistance, guardianship and the healthcare system.
"Social welfare cannot close the gaps in the healthcare system," said Galladé. "But it can focus more strongly on the topic of mental health and contribute to good cooperation with the entire support system."
Fewer people on social welfare
Meanwhile, social assistance rates in 2023 were lower than they had been for a long time: in 12 out of 14 cities, they were below the 2019 level, and in 11 cities they were even below the level of ten years ago. Compared to the previous year, the number of social welfare recipients also fell almost everywhere, by an average of 4.3%. The social welfare rate measures the proportion of people receiving social welfare as a percentage of the total resident population.
According to the cities, one reason for this is the booming labor market. Employees are being sought in almost all sectors. The unemployment rate has fallen in all cities over the last three years. "Those who are able to work find a job quite quickly," said the cities.
Single-parent households more frequently affected
The cities see another reason for the positive development in their social services. These offer important social work support to help clients regain their economic independence. This included work integration programmes, stabilization in crisis situations or support in claiming social benefits.
Children and young people, divorced people, foreign nationals and people without a recognized professional qualification continued to be particularly reliant on support. On average, around 23% of all single-parent households in the 14 cities were supported by social welfare, especially women in part-time work with underage children.
