PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR PRESERVING HUMAN CAPITAL AMID SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATIONS (THE CASE OF LITHUANIA)

The article provides a systemic analysis of the transformation of the psychosocial rehabilitation system as a strategic mechanism for preserving and restoring human capital amidst the global polycrisis.Using Lithuania as a case study, the research examines the impact of permanent social turbulencetriggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the existential threat posed by Russia's full-scale war against Ukraineon the mental health of the economically active population.The authors critically reassess the traditional biomedical paradigm of psychiatry, demonstrating its inadequacy in addressing contemporary multisystemic challenges.The methodological foundation of the study is a transdisciplinary synthesis of data from neurobiology (the concept of allostatic load, neuroplasticity), epigenetics, and the sociology of medicine.It is substantiated that chronic stress and the phenomenon of retraumatization of "historical trauma" lead to neuroanatomical changes that critically reduce the cognitive potential and professional efficiency of the workforce.The paper highlights the issue of structural imbalance within Lithuania's healthcare system, specifically the personnel shortage and uneven distribution of services ("medical deserts").Particular attention is paid to substantiating the economic feasibility of implementing evidence-based practices: the "Open Dialogue" methodology for managing crisis states and the "Individual Placement and Support" (IPS) model.It is demonstrated that the IPS model, based on the "place and train" principle, ensures significantly higher rates of return to the labor market for individuals with mental disorders compared to traditional methods.This facilitates the transformation of social expenditures into investments and increases tax revenues.The conclusions formulate strategic recommendations for public policy: a transition to intersectoral collaboration, the demedicalization of care, the integration of neuroplastic interventions, and the development of national resilience as a dynamic interaction of biological, social, and institutional systems.