The Government Council of Andalusia has reported on the actions carried out by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs in matters of mental health, coinciding with World Mental Health Day, celebrated every October 10. These actions, which range from the expansion of infrastructure to the specialized training of health professionalsreflect significant progress in addressing mental health problems in the region, demonstrating the Andalusian government’s commitment to suicide prevention and improving mental health services.
One of the notable measures is the Andalusian Infrastructure Plan for Mental Healthwhich has a budget of more than 14 million eurosdistributed over two consecutive years: 7,090,548.60 euros in 2023 and a similar figure for 2024. This plan contemplates 21 projects underway, some still in progress, with the aim of strengthen mental health infrastructure in Andalusiawith special attention to the most vulnerable groups and, in particular, the child and adolescent population.
PESMAA
He development of the PESMAA It has been one of the main achievements of the last year. Approved in March 2023, this plan establishes a comprehensive and equitable approach to mental health care for years to comeplacing emphasis on the humanization and digitalization of services. During its preparation, preliminary diagnoses were carried out and information was collected from professionals and users through focus groups, which has made it possible to identify the main needs of the system and adapt actions to the most vulnerable groups.
Besides, the number of Mental Health Clinical Management Units (UGCSM) has increased from 26 to 27expanding the coverage of mental health services in Andalusia. At the moment, More than 2,800 professionals provide care in the 153 active mental health facilities in the regionguaranteeing a more agile and effective response to patient needs.
In parallel, Infrastructure dedicated to child and adolescent mental health has been reinforcedwith the opening of new short-term hospitalization units in the Virgen del Rocío university hospitals in Seville and Virgen de las Nieves in Granada. In addition, the opening of new units is planned at the Regional Hospital of Málaga and at the UGCSM of Campo de Gibraltar.
Community Mental Health Units
The Community Mental Health Units (USMC) have also experienced improvementssuch as the creation of differentiated waiting rooms for minors in 65 of the 79 existing units, guaranteeing a more appropriate treatment of minors and avoiding mixing with adults in these spaces. Likewise, 50 medium-stay beds have been launched for adolescents with serious mental disorders in different parts of Andalusia, which ensures prolonged and appropriate care for this age group.
Training of professionals
Regarding the training of professionals, Two UGCSM have been accredited as Multiprofessional Teaching unitsthus increasing places for specialized health training in areas such as nursing and clinical psychology. This measure responds to the need to have more trained personnel to meet the growing demand for mental health services in the community.
The Andalusian Public Foundation for the Social Integration of People with Mental Illness (Faisem) has also played a key role, developing a network of services that cover everything from residential needs and day programs to vocational training and access to employment. In this sense, the Employment and Vocational Training Program has registered significant progress, with more than 1,300 hires in the last year.
Suicide prevention
One of the most relevant aspects of the mental health strategy of the Government of Andalusia is the suicide prevention. In 2023 the Suicidal Behavior Prevention Program in Andalusia 2023-2026which expands the actions of the previous Action Plan with a medium and long-term focus. This program includes the development of the Suicide Risk Codea protocol for early risk detection and continuous monitoring of people in vulnerable situations.
In addition, two guides have been published to support both professionals and families of people affected by suicidal behavior: the Self-help guide ‘How to deal with grief?’ and the ‘Guide for health professionals in grieving situations’. These tools seek to help people who have suffered a loss and health professionals and are part of a broader set of actions that also address research in this field.
Educational field
In the educational field, they have been implemented specific measures for adolescents in collaboration with other counseling services. In October 2023, a protocol was approved for the prevention of the risk of suicidal behavior and self-harm in educational centers, which establishes concrete actions to guarantee the safety of students and their referral to mental health services if necessary.
Training has been a fundamental pillar in the success of these measures. The referring nurses from educational centers, 411 in total, have received specific training on suicide prevention and detection of depression in adolescents. This training has allowed us to create a comprehensive support network for students at risk, guaranteeing early and coordinated intervention.