To commemorate the World Mental Health Day which takes place on October 10th, the Mijas Town Hall read out a manifesto on Tuesday in which it advocated the implementation of all necessary measures to promote mental health, especially in the work environment. The event was attended by members of the Association of Relatives and People with Mental Illness of the Costa del Sol (AFESOL), who also read a manifesto on the subject. 

The slogan chosen to commemorate this date is ‘Work and mental health, an essential link’. This was decided by the Mental Health Confederation of Spain, after a popular vote of its member associations, thus encouraging the participation of all entities and people linked to the associative movement. 

The text, which was approved during the last plenary session, indicates that in Spain records have been broken in terms of sick leave related to mental health and behavioural problems: "Almost 600,000 people in 2023, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, which is 15.8% more than the previous year. Figures that have doubled in seven years", said the councillor for Social Inclusion of the Mijas Town Hall, Melisa Ceballos (PP), during the reading of the text. 

 

In Andalusia, a worrying record was also reached: 7,008 people applied for sick leave. This figure represents an increase of 1,033 people compared to the previous year and almost triples, as in the Spanish average, the figure recorded seven years ago (in 2016 sick leave was 2,431 people). The number of sick leave cases among young people has increased by 90% since the pandemic. 

Stigma and prejudice are still deeply rooted in the working environment. In fact, 37.9% of people with a diagnosis have experienced discrimination at work and only 12.9% share their mental health problem with colleagues.  This stigma, which generates even more suffering for the person, can translate into a lack of confidence, a lack of understanding of the situation and discrimination, which hinders recovery, according to the approved text.

On this last aspect, both public administrations and groups working in mental health consider that an inclusive and respectful working environment avoids situations of rejection and harassment, among other problems. "We must create spaces where self-esteem, security and confidence grow. It is about creating an environment in which people can show their best version and their full capacity. Teamwork and the stimulation of comprehension will help to break down the barriers of miss communication adn isolation", said Joaquín Sibajas, user of Afesol Mental Health, who participated in the reading of the manifesto, and who also insisted on the need to develop resources that facilitate the integration of people with mental health problems into the labour market and the commitment to promote actions, projects and strategies that bring about a change in the way mental health is viewed and cared for. 

 

Also speaking at the event was the president of Afesol Mental Health, Cristian González, who spoke of another major concern, continuous stress, "which has become normalised, and this lifestyle, with new technologies and social media means that we do not stop, which will result in mental health problems being the leading cause of disability in 2023 and that one in four people will have a mental health problem in their lifetime".

 

Thoughts after the manifesto

After the reading of the manifesto, other issues related to mental health were also discussed. For his part, the councillor and spokesman for the PP in Mijas, Mario Bravo, spoke about the need to include protocols for action on this issue in the departments of labour risk prevention in companies and public entities, since, as he said, "there are already statistics that show that mental health is the cause of later physical problems, so we have to be able to tackle it and I think it is good that today we are focusing on this problem".

Taking advantage of Afesol's presence at this event, Vox spokesman Juan Carlos Cuevas insisted on the importance of speeding up the completion of the Afesol assisted living building, which is under construction on a municipal plot of land in Camino de Campanales, "and it seems that the Junta de Andalucía and the Provincial Council are also going to help financially so that next year we can have this care centre, which will be a reality thanks to the work and drive of Afesol". The councillor for Social Inclusion, Melisa Ceballos, also referred to this group, recalling that "the Mijas Town Hall fully supports the work and services offered by Afesol, and we always try to get involved as much as possible in everything they propose".

For his part, the socialist councillor Josele González recalled that 10 percent of the Andalusian population is medicated daily with some type of psychotropic drug, and that one in three Andalusians has a mental health problem during their lives, "and despite everything, the Andalusian government has preferred to eliminate the General Directorate of Mental Health, something that groups such as Afesol have demanded, who want it to be reinstated and for the Regional Minister of Health to reverse this measure".

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