The PSOE informs in a press release this Monday that in the last ordinary plenary session of Teguise it has achieved unanimity around the need to develop the first Municipal Mental Health Plan, in a motion on the importance of citizen emotional well-being defended by the socialist councilor and island secretary of Health and Health, Sabina Vizcaíno.
In the words of the councilor, "with this proposal we take a first step from the municipal level to make visible and promote emotional well-being in the municipality, a matter of maximum social importance today."
The starting point of the approved motion is an increase in mental health problems in the population, aggravated by the current pace of life, by the pandemic suffered, social isolation, overexposure to new technologies or economic difficulties, which require the effort of all Public Administrations to undertake measures that mitigate the current social diagnosis and the severity of problems related to the mental health of the population.
"The town councils, as institutions closest to the citizens - says Vizcaíno - have a prominent role in the implementation of measures that help the detection, prevention and accompaniment of mental health problems, especially in the groups of young people, the elderly and people at risk of social exclusion."
Thus, the Socialist Group is clear: "Mental health must be at the center of care policies for people." Hence, they aspire to the future plan including, among other actions: the promotion of awareness and prevention campaigns; support for sports and community entities with specialist professionals in the field; the creation of community spaces for active listening and emotional support; the training of municipal staff in prevention and psychological first aid; or the constitution of a local mental health table with the active participation of professionals, groups and associations.
"This framework - Vizcaíno points out - open to new measures, does not replace the actions that in the state, regional and island spheres are projected in the field of mental health, but is complementary, since all Administrations must contribute to the attention to one of the most pressing problems of our days."
The socialists want to highlight the unanimity in the Teguise plenary session to this proposal: "Hopefully it will serve as a precedent, since this cooperative line should be extended to the process of elaboration and implementation of this necessary Municipal Mental Health Plan that we hope will soon see the light", concludes Sabina Vizcaíno.
Recent data on mental health
According to the recent Spanish Health Survey 2023 of the National Institute of Statistics (INE), in which approximately 21,000 households participated, 14.6% of the population aged fifteen and over presented a depressive picture during the two weeks prior to the interview for the purpose of the survey, and 8% a severe depressive picture.
These data represent an increase compared to the previous survey of 2020, at a rate of 5.5 points more in the severe depressive picture and 3.7 points in the case of mild and moderate depressive pictures.
The worsening of the psychological health of Spaniards occurs in all age groups, especially in the most serious cases, among the youngest, according to data collected by the INE.
