Extermination of the mentally ill – remembrance and challenges

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A symposium 'Extermination of the mentally ill – remembrance and challenges,' held under the patronage of Speaker of the Senate, Stanisław Karczewski, took place on 11 April 2017.
The conference was organized by the Health Committee of the Polish Senate and the Polish Psychiatric Association (the Committee of History of Polish Psychiatry and the Committee of Reform of Psychiatric Care).

Programme of invited lectures:

  1.  Tadeusz Nasierowski: Extermination of people with mental disorders in German-occupied Poland. The beginning of genocide.
  2. Tomasz Szafrański: Assisted death of patients with drug-resistant depression – confronting dangers to psychiatry and its social status.
  3. Tadeusz Nasierowski: Psychiatry in People's Republic of Poland
  4. Marek Balicki: Political involvement in successful implementation of the reform of mental health care in Poland.
  5. Jacek Wciórka: Psychiatry after reform – vision and implementation.

Dr Marek Balicki: Wola Centre of Mental Health, Warsaw
Dr Tadeusz Nasierowski: Department of Psychiatry, Warsaw Medical University
Dr Tomasz Szafrański: 'Psychiatria' quarterly
Prof. Jacek Wciórka: Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology

The debate to follow focused on the challenges people with mental disorders have to face in the present and the future. Their tragic history during the Second World War and politically motivated abuse in psychiatry in the post-war period was presented.
Another important theme discussed was: "how easily social disregard of basic rights of the mentally ill leads to abuse and crime; how easily ignorance, disrespect and aversion towards them paves the way to unlawful, discriminatory treatment; how easily institutionally sanctioned discrimination, stigmatization and rejection trigger violence and extermination of people who expect their due support, help and care."

The symposium was accompanied by an exhibition: Extermination of people with mental disorders in German-occupied Poland. The beginning of genocide, which has been prepared by Tadeusz Nasierowski.

The symposium was one of the activities organized in the frame of the First Congress of Mental Health, which took place in Warsaw on 8 May 2017. [www.kongreszp.org.pl]; it was a part of ongoing congressional debate on vital issues and decisions concerning the social status and life opportunities of people suffering from mental disorders in Poland.