The average is 6 per 100,000 inhabitants, similar to the country as a whole, but far from the 18 in the European Union
Three out of ten Spaniards suffer from mental health problems, according to the 2019 National Health System Annual Report. Depression, anxiety and somatization disorders are becoming more common every day, especially since the outbreak of the pandemic, which has made it manifest a situation of saturation in this type of health care. While in Spain there are barely 6 clinical psychologists for every 100,000 inhabitants, in the European Union there are an average of 18, as reported by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) through a campaign requesting more resources for mental health.
The lack of clinical psychologists adds to the situation of saturation in psychiatry, also in charge of treating mental health, which in 2021 already amounted to 20 days of average waiting in the different Autonomous Communities. In the Region of Murcia the situation is even worse, with an average waiting time of 43 days.
Even when there are sometimes clinical psychologists in Primary Care, they are clearly insufficient. It must be taken into account that, in Spain, problems related to mental health represent almost half of all daily consultations in Primary Care. The lack of psychologists, necessary for comprehensive care for these patients, is another factor that contributes to the saturation of this level of care and the work overload of its health personnel. Consequently, overdiagnosis and overmedicalization of patients grows. In fact, our country leads the consumption of benzodiazepines worldwide with an average of 110 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the report of the International Narcotics Control Board.
A private psychologist, more than 200 euros per month
In short, the barriers to mental health care that are observed in public health derive from a lack of public professionals specialized in psychological treatment. Specifically, in the Region of Murcia and according to the Ombudsman, the average waiting list for the cynical psychologist was 71 days in 2018, being higher than in other regions. There are 6.1 clinical psychologists per 100,000 inhabitants, in the national average, but far from the 18 in the European Union, according to data provided by the National Association of Clinical and Resident Psychologists (ANPIR). This forces many affected to resort to a private psychologist, whose attention can exceed 200 euros per month.
For all these reasons, OCU requests to increase the PIR or Resident Internal Psychologists of the National Health System, which in 2021 reached 198, a figure that has been slightly increased in the call for this year 2022 with 204 places. For the organization, it is “especially worrying in a framework like the current one, in which the new National Mental Health Strategy has just been approved and the Government has positioned itself favorably in this area.”
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