The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of the population, especially due to confinement and mobility restrictions ---which led to isolation and loneliness for many people---, health effects with high rates of hospitalization in ICUs and mortality, and socioeconomic effects.
Given this situation and with the aim of mitigating the effects of the pandemic on mental health, the Departament de Salut will progressively incorporate, before the end of the year, up to 150 professionals into the primary care teams (EAP) of Catalonia, initially in those with greater social needs. Of these 150 professionals, about fifty are already integrated into the primary care teams.
The measure is part of the Emotional Well-being and Community Health Program, promoted by the Departament de Salut, and aims to strengthen mental health care for all layers of society, but with greater emphasis on young people, the elderly, and other groups at risk of vulnerability.
The contracted professionals belong to different profiles, among which psychologists and nurses stand out, who work hand in hand with other nursing, medical, and social work professionals to prevent and address the emotional distress of the population, but without entering the field of clinical psychology.
The new professionals will join the EAPs
The incorporation of these professionals into the EAPs is a measure aimed at improving the prevention and promotion of emotional well-being, and minimizing or avoiding the appearance of mental health problems or addictions. All of this is achieved thanks to the early detection of psychosocial factors in the population, as well as the care and accompaniment of people to provide them with tools so that they can manage situations of emotional distress and enhance their empowerment to promote individual capacities and also as members of the community.
Another objective is to achieve the non-medicalization of problems related to emotional distress. In this sense, the role of the referent is that of a professional who works in a network, both with primary care teams and, for example, with educational centers, civic centers, residences, and the local community. As a professional who carries out their work in the community sphere, they do not have an assigned population. They are integrated into the territory's community health programs to carry out activities for the prevention and promotion of emotional health, participating, for example, in the Salut i Escola program, giving talks on healthy habits and relationships, and also in other interventions in educational centers, youth and senior centers, and residences. They also participate in other activities carried out by the CAPs, such as support groups, or in sessions of the Pacient Expert Catalunya® program. Another important collaboration environment is public health, where they work closely with the professionals who work there.
The Minister of Health, Josep Maria Argimon, emphasizes the importance of recovering emotional well-being after the pandemic and trusts that next year the 380 primary care teams will already have a referent who contributes to the care of community mental health. He also applauds that the Emotional Well-being and Community Health Program was born from the request of the professionals themselves, which will facilitate their integration into the teams and a better development of activities, in a more proactive way and where they are most needed.
Eighty million in mental health
The firm commitment of the Department of Health and the Government as a whole will translate into an increase in the mental health budget of eighty million euros. And among the actions to reinforce mental health care, the approval by the Government of the Suicide Prevention Plan in Catalonia also stands out, to reduce cases and social stigmatization. Likewise, two initiatives aimed at the child and youth population are being promoted: the deployment ---before the end of the year--- of a dozen home care teams for very complex cases, and fifty more to attend to serious cases related to depression, anxiety or eating disorders, treated at home intensively ---for example, for two or three days a week--- for approximately three months.