Mental health is no longer a taboo and has become one of the most popular topics of discussion in society, mainly due to the increase in mental disorders. In fact, it affects 29% of Spaniards – with a female predominance. The problem is that while cases of depression, anxiety, etc. are increasing; There is a shortage of psychiatrists in the country. The head of the Spanish Association says: “We need between 370 and 565 professionals to join each year during the next five years, while keeping the number of training specialists constant, to reach ideal ratios ranging between 13 and 15 per 100,000 people within five years.” Psychiatry and Mental Health, Manuel Martin.
Spain It has 4,393 public health psychiatristsIn other words, 9.27 professionals per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Spanish Association of Psychiatry and Mental Health. This figure leaves the country light years behind its neighboring countries in Europe. it’s more, 20% will retire in the next five years Which will increase the shortage of resources.
It is behind Portugal, which has 14 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, the Czech Republic – which has 15 psychiatrists per 100,000 population – Belgium, which has 17, and Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland, 19, among others. In addition, In some areas, the job of psychiatrists is like another movie. Germany has 28 professionals per 100,000 inhabitants, Norway about 26, France 23, and Austria and Sweden 22.
In addition to the differences that Spain offers compared to other countries, it also It represents inequalities between their autonomy in terms of access to mental health services. According to the White Paper on Psychiatry in Spain, regions such as the Basque Country and Catalonia have the ideal proportions. Specifically, 15 and 13.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, respectively.
However, there are areas where the situation is “more dramatic”. This is the case of Melilla with 4.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 inhabitants, Ceuta 5.9, Valencian Community 5.9, Andalusia 6.2, Extremadura 6.8 or La Rioja 6.9. “The lack of mental health professionals (not only psychiatrists, but also clinical psychologists and mental health nurses) leads to a lack of resources to support people with mental disorders,” says Manuel Martin.
Mental health, the crucial problem that Spaniards face
Mental health is the most important problem that Spaniards face. The president of the association notes that “it has been classified as a priority setback for public health due to the increased demand for care in this field, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.”
in this meaning, Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Specifically, there are 74.6 cases per 1,000 inhabitants. The most common mental illness is depression, with an incidence rate of 41.9 cases per 1,000 people. It should be noted that in both cases the prevalence rate among females is higher than among males. Specifically, 97.5 per 1,000 inhabitants and 7.1%, respectively.
On the other side, 60.7 Spaniards per 1,000 inhabitants suffer from sleep disorders. In contrast to the first two cases, personality disorders are more prevalent in men (7.5%) than in women (6.1%), according to the white paper.
“Thinker. Professional twitter fanatic. Certified introvert. Troublemaker. Unapologetic zombie maven.”