‘Serious situation’ as there are not enough mental health professionals in Spain 

There are not enough mental health professionals in Spain, according to the Spanish Association of Mental Health and Psychiatry (SEPSM).

SEPSM President, Manuel Carrasco, calls for ‘immediate action’ as the number of patients keeps growing every year while there are not enough psychiatrists. 

The organisation believes that the public health system would need almost 2,000 more mental health professionals to overcome the current ‘serious situation’. 

Spain has 9,27 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, which negatively differs from other European countries such as Germany (28), Norway (26), France (23) or Portugal (14). 

“We need at least between 370 and 565 psychiatrists to join the public health system every year over the next five,” Carrasco said. 

While the Basque Country and Catalunya have an optimal ratio of psychiatrists per 100,000 people, with 15 and 13.3 respectively, regions such as Andalucia (6.2) and Comunidad Valenciana (5.9) do not meet the criteria the WHO establishes as ‘acceptable’. 

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