Economic Forum: Ms. Traub, you lead a large rehabilitation clinic in the spa town of Bad Saulgau in Upper Swabia. What is the focus of your facility?

Andrea Traub: We care for the human soul, within the framework of medical rehabilitation treatments, which usually last between five and seven weeks. We treat a wide spectrum of mental and psychosomatic illnesses, from anxieties, burnout, depression, and compulsions to personality disorders, chronic pain, exhaustion states, and sleep disorders.

In addition, we offer special programs, for example, in the context of coping with grief or for post-traumatic stress disorders, and psychosomatic treatments for certain target groups, for instance, for people in the second half of their lives. Patients come to us after being treated by a doctor who has recommended rehab.

In addition to this, we offer outpatient aftercare following rehabilitation, known as Psy-RENA or psychosomatic rehabilitation aftercare. In all our therapy services, we adopt a holistic understanding of the individual. Physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors are always interconnected and influence each other. Through our treatment offerings, we aim to contribute to maintaining this interplay in balance.

Economic Forum: Additionally, you are the managing director of the Akutklinik Bad Saulgau, which is located directly adjacent.

Andrea Traub: The Akutklinik is a private hospital for the treatment of mental and psychosomatic illnesses. Rehabilitation measures are not performed there. Both clinics are part of the CURA group based in Berlin.

Economic Forum: How big are the two clinics?

Andrea Traub: At the Klinik am schönen Moos, we have 180 beds and equally as many employees, in the Akutklinik there are 65 beds and 100 employees.

Economic Forum: Who are your patients?

Andrea Traub: In the case of the Klinik am schönen Moos, we receive appropriate referrals from pension insurance and health insurance companies. As a private clinic, patients at the Akutklinik have the right to choose which clinic they want to attend. Overall, we treat all age groups from 18 to seniors.

Economic Forum: How has the demand for treatment of mental and psychosomatic illnesses developed in recent years?

Andrea Traub: The need has significantly increased due to the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine. We are observing a notable increase in fears and panic attacks among many people. The trend towards working from home in many sectors also has implications, from isolation due to a lack of social contacts to neglect because structures are missing. In the professional world, there is also an increase in bullying, overload, and burnout symptoms; here, the demographic change shows its effects. If there is a growing shortage of skilled workers, it means more work for the individual.

Economic Forum: Are you glad that the coronavirus pandemic is over?

Andrea Traub: Definitely, the obligation to wear a mouth-nose protection was very restrictive for us. We work with language and facial expressions, and the mask greatly limited that.

Economic Forum: Do you also use digital tools in your clinic's everyday life?

Andrea Traub: Yes, more and more, we even have a serving robot in the dining room. However, digitalisation plays a smaller role in the treatment spectrum. There are addictions, for example, due to excessive smartphone use, but they are not treated by us.

Economic Forum: What factors would you identify as crucial for the success of your clinics?

Andrea Traub: The therapy density, i.e., the wide range of treatments that we cover on-site, including individual therapy, as well as the professional care and the thorough diagnostics that we offer. Additionally, the whole setting, the beautiful location of our clinics in the spa town of Bad Saulgau right next to the large spa park and surrounded by nature. Last but not least, our comprehensive offer in the field of medical vocational rehabilitation, which is increasingly in demand against the backdrop of changes in the working world.

Economic Forum: Are you optimistic about the future?

Andrea Traub: We assume that the need for rehabilitation measures in the field of psychosomatic medicine, psychiatry, and psychotherapy will continue to rise. A prerequisite for effective treatment is a sufficient number of skilled professionals. So far, however, we have always managed to fill all positions adequately. One problem, however, is the lack of societal acceptance for mental illnesses. One cannot see when the soul is unwell, there are no band-aids for that. Therefore, education about mental illnesses should be promoted more strongly.