New action plan announced to prevent suicide in Spain: Initiatives of the Ministry of Health

The Mental Health Commissioner of the Ministry of Health, Belén González, announced this May 30, 2024 in the Congress of Deputies the implementation of an action plan against suicide for the period 2025-2027. This plan, which will have independent funding and co-financing from the autonomous communities, seeks to comprehensively address the problem of suicide in the country, a problem that requires urgent and effective attention.

During his appearance, Gonzalez emphasized the need for comprehensive, quality care that includes psychotherapy and more frequent appointments, something that is currently difficult to achieve.

Another of the initiatives highlighted is the creation of a project to recognize and record the psychological suffering derived from work. This project will involve a multidisciplinary group of experts, ranging from philosophers to psychiatrists and family doctors. The commissioner highlighted the increasing difficulty and precariousness of modern work and its impact on mental health, underlining the government's responsibility to address this public health problem.

She also pointed out that if job insecurity were eliminated, 170,000 cases of depression could have been avoided by 2020, according to the PRESME report of the Ministry of Labor and the Group of Experts on Mental Health and Job Insecurity. She also mentioned that no mental disorder directly linked to work is recognized in Spain, despite the recommendations of the International Labor Organization.

Spain is the second European country with the highest consumption of anxiolytics and the fourth in antidepressants. In view of this situation, a comprehensive plan for the deprescription of psychotropic drugs will be promoted, especially among the young population, where consumption has increased significantly. This plan will include the creation of training materials for clinicians and the promotion of social prescribing, i.e., the prescription of resources accessible in the community itself that are beneficial to health, as an alternative to drugs.

Finally, the commissioner announced the continuity and improvement of existing projects such as the 024 helpline, and the implementation of a specific action plan on suicide with proven measures. This plan will seek to shed light on the conditions and triggers of suicide, providing resources and effective strategies for its prevention.

For more information visit https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do?id=6442