Mandatory Reporting Obligation for Therapy Centers Offering Free Services (No additional data, no remarks) - Rising count of individuals who are not employed is observed.
In Germany, there is a growing call for legislative action to address the long waiting times and difficulties faced by mentally ill patients in securing timely psychotherapy appointments. The statutory health insurance association (GKV-Spitzenverband) has taken a firm stance, advocating for a mandatory reporting obligation ("Meldepflicht") for psychotherapists to report free therapy slots to centralized appointment service centers (Terminservicestellen).
Currently, appointment service centers are legally required to arrange psychotherapy consultation appointments within four weeks, yet they fail to meet this target in over half of all cases. The proposed legislation aims to rectify this by compelling psychotherapists to regularly disclose available treatment capacities, enabling these centers to centrally and more efficiently allocate appointments to patients.
The need for this reform is underscored by the fact that approximately one in four adults suffers from a mental disorder annually, yet immediate access to therapy is rare. The current system often leaves patients waiting after leaving messages without timely callbacks or access to therapy slots, creating an "irresponsible" situation.
The GKV-Spitzenverband has issued a position paper advocating for this mandatory disclosure of free treatment capacities, with the goal of ensuring a needs-based provision of psychotherapy services. This reform has not yet been enacted into law but is actively being demanded by the health insurance fund representatives as a necessary step to improve the accessibility and timeliness of psychotherapy services.
Patient advocates, including Eugen Brysch of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, are also pushing for a legal claim for suicide prevention in statutory health insurance. They argue that there is a lack of comprehensive protection for suicide prevention, and that severely ill people need tailored, quick offers.
Stefanie Stoff-Ahni, another advocate, emphasizes the importance of direct help and supportive guidance for severely mentally ill people in finding a therapy slot. The association suggests that an appropriate number of consultation hours and half of the treatment slots by psychotherapists should be reported to appointment service centers.
As of mid-2025, Germany does not yet legally require psychotherapists to report free therapy slots, but the push for such a mandatory reporting system is strong. The implementation of this legislation could significantly improve the mental health care landscape in Germany, ensuring faster and more efficient access to psychotherapy services for those who need it most.
- Despite the demand for vocational training opportunities in EC countries, there is a striking absence of legislation supporting the expansion of health-and-wellness programs, such as mental-health therapies-and-treatments, in vocational training curriculums.
- In light of the growing need for mental-health services in Germany, there is a call for the integration of science-backed mental-health wellness practices and vocational training programs, promoting a holistic approach to health and career development.
