SEVILLE 7 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government Council has learned this Monday of the actions carried out by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs in matters of mental health, coinciding with the commemoration of World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated every October 10. The actions undertaken, from the expansion of infrastructure to the training of professionals and the creation of new specialized services, constitute “a significant advance” in the attention to mental health problems in the region and show the commitment of the Board “to the improvement” of mental health services and the prevention of suicidal behavior.
As reported by the Board in a note, the comprehensive and collaborative approach that guides all these actions ensures that the Andalusian population has access to quality, equitable and humane health care. In this way, Andalusia is positioned as one of the regions most committed to improving the mental health and well-being of its citizens.
In terms of investments and infrastructure, the Andalusian Infrastructure Plan for Mental Health has had a budget of 7,090,548.60 euros in 2023 and a similar amount for 2024. Thus, 21 projects have been presented, some of which are still in execution, and in which the most vulnerable groups and especially the child-adolescent population have been taken into account.
According to the Board, the development of the Strategic Plan for Mental Health and Addictions of Andalusia (Pesmaa) has been one of the most important milestones of the last year. The formulation of this plan, approved in March 2023, establishes the lines of action for the coming years, with a comprehensive and equitable approach, which places special emphasis on the humanization of assistance and the digitalization of services.
In addition, the number of Mental Health Clinical Management Units (Ugcsm) has increased, from 26 to 27 units, which has allowed the coverage of mental health services to be expanded throughout the Andalusian territory. Currently, more than 2,800 professionals provide care in the 153 mental health devices available in Andalusia, ensuring a faster and more efficient response.
In parallel, as added by the Board, the infrastructure dedicated to child and adolescent mental health has been reinforced. Thus, new Mental Health Brief Hospitalization units for Children and Adolescents have been opened at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville and at the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital in Granada, and the opening of new units at the Regional Hospital is planned. of Malaga and at the UGCSM of Campo de Gibraltar. These units provide adequate space for the intensive treatment of minors with serious mental disorders, offering comprehensive and specialized care.
Likewise, care has been improved in the Community Mental Health Units (USMC), with the inclusion of separate waiting rooms for minors in 65 of the 79 existing units. This advance has allowed minors to receive treatment more appropriate to their needs, avoiding mixing with adults in waiting spaces. Likewise, work continues to implement this type of spaces in those units where it has not yet been possible due to structural problems.
Regarding hospital care, the provision of the public service of complementary healthcare to users of the Andalusian Health Service of 50 medium-stay beds for adolescents with serious mental disorders, distributed throughout Andalusia, has begun. This measure guarantees that adolescents between 12 and 18 years old with long-term hospitalization needs receive the necessary care. This contracting will be carried out through the SAS, with an offer of 36,500 hospital stays for adolescents with mental disorders. Patients may be referred from Mental Health Clinical Management units linked to public health centers, ensuring continuity of care and reducing inequalities in access to these specialized services.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING
In terms of training, significant progress has been achieved with the accreditation of two UGCSM as Multiprofessional Teaching units, which has allowed an increase in the number of places for specialized health training in areas such as nursing and clinical psychology. This measure responds to the need to have more trained professionals to serve a population that increasingly demands mental health services.
According to the Board, the Andalusian Public Foundation for the Social Integration of People with Mental Illness (Faisem) also has special relevance, which develops an important network of services throughout Andalusia and whose objective is the social inclusion and recovery of people with problems. serious mental health problems. These programs are complementary to health care and cover residential needs, day programs, access to employment, vocational training, sports and cultural activities and the fight against the stigma and discrimination suffered by these people and their families.
The Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs is promoting new structures, more training and greater financing in Faisem’s action plans. This progress is reflected in an increase in the coverage of places in all programs. The Employment and Vocational Training Program stands out, which has registered important progress, with a total of 1,340 hires in the last year, of which 562 have been made in ordinary companies and 149 in the public sector.
Similarly, collaboration between mental health professionals has also been encouraged through digitalization and the creation of shared virtual spaces. These initiatives allow professionals from different areas to work together, sharing knowledge and experiences, and reinforcing synergies between primary care, educational centers and mental health services.
Finally, among the most relevant actions is the development of the Suicidal Behavior Prevention Program in Andalusia 2023-2026, presented in 2023, which aims to reduce the incidence and impact of suicide in the region.
Along with this protocol, two guides have been published that have been very well received, both by health professionals and affected family members. The first of them, the self-help guide ‘How to cope with grief?’, provides support tools for those who have lost a loved one to suicide, while the second, the ‘Guide for health professionals in situations of grief’, is designed to improve the intervention of health professionals in these cases.
Both guides are part of the set of actions included in the program, which also covers specific activities to alleviate the pain of affected families, as well as a catalog of training for mental health professionals and the development of lines of research in this field.