The Minister of Health of Galicia, Antonio Gómez Caamaño, has stated in the Galician Parliament that Public health in the region has practically doubled the number of mental health professionals since 2009. As he has pointed out, Galicia currently has around 557 professionalsincluding clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and nurses specialized in mental health. In comparison, In 2009 the figure was approximately 285 professionals.
During his speech, Gómez Caamaño mentioned a series of improvements that the Galician Government has carried out during this legislature. One of them is the creation of a specific General Subdirectorate to improve the Xunta’s policies in the field of mental health.
Post-covid Mental Health Plan 2020-2024
The councilor also highlighted the implementation of the Post-covid Mental Health Plan 2020-2024; the creation of new mental health units in Tui, Ordes, Oleiros and Ponteareas; the launch of the Álvaro Cunqueiro child and adolescent psychiatric hospitalization unit; the creation of the new psychogeriatrics unit at the Ventorrillo health center; and the new care unit for first episodes of psychosis at the Abente y Lago hospital.
Within the framework of the Post-Covid Mental Health Plan 2020-2024, a investment of 83 million eurosof which 36 million have been allocated to hiring personnel, allowing the creation of 244 new positions for mental health professionals. The councilor has assured that 47 clinical psychologist positions were created, with 100 percent coverage, and 60 psychiatry positions.
Professional ratios
Gómez Caamaño has also highlighted the increase in the ratios of mental health professionals in the last four yearspointing out that the number of clinical psychologists went from 3.4 to 5.2 per 100,000 inhabitantswhile the ratio of psychiatrists increased to 8.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. The councilor has attributed this growth to the efforts of the Ministry of Health in recruiting personnel, driven by the increase in the offer of specialized health training, thus managing to cover 100% of the MIR accredited positions in the area of mental health.
The councilor has also reported that The number of clinical psychologists trained in Galicia has doubled and the number of places for training nurses specialized in mental health has multiplied by 10.. In addition, the current Executive has expanded the training places from 22 to 56. The Xunta has also offered 175 places that are difficult to cover for mental health.
Suicide prevention
Regarding suicide prevention, he highlighted that Since 2017, Galicia has had a pioneering regional plan that includes seven strategic lines and 37 measurescovering areas such as education with the YAM program. In addition, the Cariño Code has been implemented, a protocol for the rapid care of minors at risk of suicide.
Looking to the future, The councilor has announced a new Mental Health Plan for the next four yearsmore ambitious and adapted to current needs. This plan will include psychologists in health centers and will expand the age of child and adolescent psychiatric care. Programs will also be implemented to combat the stigma of suicide and improve psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation.
Mental illnesses in Spain
The increase in the number of mental health professionals in Spain is in line with the notable increase in the prevalence of mental illnesses that has been recorded in recent years, becoming a significant public health problem. Anxiety disorder is the most common, affecting 6.7 percent of the population, followed by sleep disorders, which impact 6.4 percent, and depressive disorders, which affect 4.1 percent. These mental health problems can have serious consequences on the quality of life of those who suffer from them, affecting their ability to carry out daily activities and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships.
Furthermore, there has been a considerable increase in benzodiazepine consumptionplacing Spain as the second country in Europe with the highest consumption of these medicationswhich means a expenditure of 100 million euros annually for the Government. This increase intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching a peak in 2021 with 58.17 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants. Although in 2023 the figure decreased slightly to 55.87 doses, consumption remains high. Anxiety disorders and other mental health problems are the main reasons behind the use of these drugs.