It seems that, finally, this society is beginning to break down the walls of silence that have surrounded mental health for so long. Every advance in this matter is a step towards a more empathetic, fair and healthy society, although there is still much to be done.
The decision of the Council of Ministers to authorize the distribution of 17.83 million euros for suicide prevention is a milestone that deserves to be recognized. It means providing concrete tools to a fight that cannot wait.
In Lanzarote, as in the rest of the country, mental health has become a matter of social urgency. Suicide is a tragedy that affects thousands of families every year, and it cannot be approached from a simplistic point of view. It is a complex phenomenon, with social, cultural and structural roots. For this reason, what is truly transformative about this state plan is its comprehensive, courageous and deeply human approach.
The plan includes awareness campaigns that will help dismantle the stigma, offering rigorous information and promoting a more empathetic view towards mental suffering. Talking about suicide does not cause it; what causes it, on too many occasions, is silence, lack of network, loneliness.
I would also like to highlight the focus on the most vulnerable groups: the elderly, LGTBIQ+ people, people in situations of exclusion or with chronic or serious illnesses. It is especially significant that it includes support measures for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. That dimension, so silenced, needs specific care and institutional presence.
So that no one feels alone when we need them most, the plan includes key improvements such as psychiatric emergency care, the creation of community devices or the reinforcement of specialized telephone lines.
The investment (12.83 million in current expenditure and 5 million in sustainable investments) will not only allow intervention, but also build lasting structures. It is a clear commitment to life, prevention and dignity.
From Lanzarote, we will firmly defend this agreement in the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System. For institutional responsibility, for ethics and for conviction. Because preventing suicide is not only a task of the State: it is a shared responsibility that challenges us as a society.
