Latvia's Health Ministry Proposes Patient Roadmap for Mental Health and Addiction Care
After a broad public participation project, Latvia’s Ministry of Health concludes that a patient journey map is needed to help navigate mental health and addiction services.
The Ministry of Health (VM) has completed a public participation project aimed at developing a new policy plan for mental health and addiction treatment. The project sought input from a wide range of stakeholders, including patients, relatives, doctors, nurses, social workers, NGOs, and state institutions, to identify gaps and improve service coordination.
Methods included focus groups, co-creation workshops, and in-depth interviews, with special attention to hard-to-reach groups such as people with addictions. Participants highlighted significant stigma in mental health and addiction care, which discourages openness and criticism.
One key proposal is to create a patient journey map – a tool that visualizes the entire care pathway from daily life through medical and social services. Another proposal is to introduce a mentor or „companion“ role for severe cases to ensure continuity between different stages of care.
The research revealed that the main breakdowns occur at inter-institutional handovers when patients move from one service to another. The new policy document, which would merge existing plans (the Mental Health Care Improvement Plan 2023-2025 and the plan for reducing alcohol and drug use), is expected in the second half of 2026. According to VM representative Sanita Lazdiņa, the project shifted focus from administrative efficiency (e.g., reducing waiting lists) to patient-centered care.
