The mental health pandemic that plagues the population in Spain is also reflected in the care pressure on the health resources of Lanzarote.
The Psychiatry Mental Health Unit of Molina Orosa registered a total of 255 admissions throughout 2023 and attended a total of 17,955 people in its outpatient clinics.
Between 2022 and 2023, the pressure in the Emergency Room grew by 19.08%, as did the occupancy of the beds, which rose to an average of 96.03% throughout 2023. Also, throughout the year 2023, a total of 249 people had to be admitted urgently, 21.46% more than the previous year. The average stay of admitted people decreased by 8.4% and became 16 days.
Outpatient care
In 2023, the Mental Health Unit of Molina Orosa attended a total of 17,955 consultations between Psychiatry and Psychology, 3.48% more than the previous year. This is stated in the Memory 2022-2023 of the Management of Health Services of the Health Area of Lanzarote.
At this point, the most striking fact is that the first times that a child from Lanzarote has attended a Psychology consultation have skyrocketed, going from 31 attendances in 2022 to 420 in 2023. Currently, this is the type of consultation that is growing the most in the Mental Health Unit. In addition, in the area of Child Psychology throughout 2023, 2,265 continuity appointments were given, 7.48% less than the previous year.
Where the pressure decreases slightly is in the first Psychiatry consultations, with 570 appointments in 2023, 3.23% less than the previous year, and Child Psychiatry, with 485 appointments, 12.45% less.
At the same time, continuity consultations increase in adults by 17.32%, reaching 6,104 and also in minors, which already reach 3,054, 27.57% more than in 2022.