A disturbing increase in teenage suicides in Poland; community psychiatric care in Hungary; castles in Slovenia – where not to care for the mentally ill, and Prague’s “Half-Way Café”.

The World Health Organisation says depression is number four in the list of the world's major diseases in terms of time suffered. And the problem is multiplying. By the year 2020, depression is expected to be the 2nd most common health complaint in all ages and both sexes.

In the mid 1980's Hungary regularly made the headlines for one unhappy reason - it had the world's highest suicide rate - an average of 46 suicides a year for every hundred thousand people. And many thought rates of depression and suicide would increase after the fall of communism. But to the surprise of many, the number of suicides has fallen.

For the past several years police statistics in Poland have been registering close to 5,000 suicides annually. What is most alarming is a steady 15% annual rise in suicides among the youngest generation.

Community-based care was a little known concept under communism, when the prevalent approach was to keep the mentally ill in institutions, and out of sight. But things are slowly changing, as steps are taken around the region towards destigmatisation and re-integration. In the Czech Republic, for instance, there is now a growing number of cafes which are helping provide the mentally ill with a route back to normal life.

Slovenia may be a small country, but it is full of castles. After the Second World War, these castles were nationalized by Tito's socialist government and in some cases converted into prisons, homeless shelters or mental institutions.