Mental health has these challenges in the SNS

The Covid-19 pandemic left numerous aftermath that affected both our way of seeing life and the health of many people. Some of the problems that have worsened the most after this period and that have gained more weight, both in institutions and at a social level, are those related to mental healthamong which -due to its high incidence- the major depression and the suicide.

Although “great achievements” have been achieved in its treatment, it is still there are many challenges to overcome. This has been precisely one of the central axes that have been addressed during the day. ‘Prioritizing Mental Health: Focusing on Major Depression and Suicide’organized by Medical Writing with the collaboration of the Johnson & Johnson company.

At the opening of the day, where mental health specialists from various fields were invited, he participated Macarena Rodriguezregional director of Institutional Relations at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, who has emphasized the social impact generated by mental pathologies, since they significantly influence the quality of life of the people who suffer from them, and, therefore, they affect their work, family and school activities, in addition to causing an economic impact on their environment.” “They are diseases that can lead us to suicide”, he warned.

Mercedes Navío, care manager of Hospitals of the Madrid Health Service (Sermas) and psychiatrist.

Due to this delicate situation, Rodríguez has stressed that “every minute counts” for these people who, often, “are too vulnerable to ask for help.” This is why he has taken advantage of his intervention to give his recognition to both the administrations and the patients and health system professionals “who from hospitals and mental health centers work every day” to give voice to these problems.

In this line, he has expressed the commitment of the company, highlighting that Johnson & Johnson knows firsthand the challenges that poses “one’s own complexity of the human brain”. “Our long history in Neuroscience encourages us to continue promoting innovations to reach people.”

Macarena Rodríguez, regional director of Institutional Relations at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.

Suicide and major depression in Spain

During this day, two round tables were held, one dedicated to the situation of major depressive disorder in Spain and another dedicated to suicideboth, according to Mercedes Navíocare manager of Hospitals of the Madrid Health Service (Sermas) and renowned psychiatrist, “essential” to be able to reach conclusions that move all the actors involved in these problems to action, as indicated at the inauguration.

There is no doubt that the mental health It is an issue that is present on the public agenda due to its complexity and impact on today’s society. For Navío, it is essential that this remains the case and that it does so in a way in which do not trivialize its importance and do not waste the work previously done”, nor forget the challenges that still remain to be overcome. “Behind every challenge there is people who suffer and to which we owe,” he noted.

Thus, he commented that the Madrid Health Service and the Ministry of Health have been working in the last five years on the implementation of plans accompanied by ““ambitious memoirs” that reach one billion euros. Furthermore, he has also highlighted the role of these actors in the hiring of professionalss of mental health. “Today we have more than 700 psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists…”. “This is the way that institutions have to make clear their commitmentwith investment and with concrete actions, and on this path we will continue to advance,” he added.

Spain registers an average of 11 suicides daily

For his part, the general director of Sanitaria 2000, Ricardo Lopezhas highlighted the importance of carrying out events that make both depressive disorders and suicide visible in our country. For this reason, he recalled that the major depression It affects more than 230,000 people in Spain. Specifically, the depressive symptoms with severe symptoms are present in 5.4 percent of the population over 15 years of age, which represents a total of 2.1 million people. Of them, about 230,000 are considered to have disorders of notable severity.

Ricardo López, general director of Sanitaria 2000.

Furthermore, the suicide is presented as the first cause of unnatural death in our country, with more than 4,000 deaths a year, with an average of 11 a day. The latest data collected by the National Statistics Institute reveal that in 2021 the number of people who died by suicide reached 4,227. It is about the highest number of suicides ever recorded in Spainsurpassed for the third consecutive year.

These data become even more worrying in the younger generations. Specifically, suicide is leading cause of death among the age group between 14 and 28 years. In addition, between 2019 and 2021 there was an increase of 32.35 percent in the number of suicides in adolescents (from 12 to 17 years old), going from 34 to 45 deaths due to this cause, and focusing on school bullying as one of the causes.

Macarena Rodríguez, Mercedes Navío and Ricardo López.

Víctor Pérez, president of the Spanish Foundation of Psychiatry and Mental Health and director of the Mental Health Institute of the Hospital del Mar (Barcelona); Mercedes Navío; and José Carlos Soto, co-director of the Mutual Aid Groups of the Princesa 81 Association.

Beatriz Salazar, specialist pharmacist at the Pharmacy Service of the Arquitecto Marcide Hospital (A Coruña); Ana de Santiago, head of the Specialized Care Section of the Psychiatry Service of the Marqués de Valdecilla Hospital (Santander); and Beatriz Vallejo, Mental Health advisor of the Castilla-La Mancha Health Service.

Antonio Linares, coordinator of Mental Health Care at the Puerto Real Hospital (Cádiz); Nicole Karin Haber, regional coordinator for Suicide Prevention of the General Directorate of Mental Health of the Balearic Islands; Beatriz Vallejo; Ana de Santiago; and José Carlos Soto.

A moment from the Conference ‘Prioritizing Mental Health: focused on major depression and suicide’.