The alert launched by the WHO is clear: one in four people will suffer some type of mental health problem throughout their lives. Mental disorders that can affect everyone ---although very especially those who suffer situations of social or economic vulnerability--- and for which we will need help. La Marató of TV3, dedicated this year to mental illnesses, is an opportunity to give visibility and raise awareness about unfavorable situations that many people suffer.
Unwanted life situations (poverty, discrimination, loneliness...), traumatic experiences or uncertainty about the future end up affecting our health and immerse us in episodes of psychological distress, anguish, depression or acute mental disorders. These situations have been further aggravated by the context of covid-19, which has triggered the vulnerability of many people.
In the province of Barcelona, a territory of almost 5.6 million inhabitants, the Diputació de Barcelona, in coordination with other administrations and with the help of city councils and third sector entities, deploys action programs for the prevention and care of mental disorders and the improvement of the emotional well-being of these people and their environment. The objective is to guarantee their quality of life, equal opportunities so as not to leave anyone behind and avoid stigmas and discrimination.
These are programs that address mental health comprehensively throughout the entire life cycle. However, young people, women, the elderly, those with disabilities and those suffering from vulnerability and extreme poverty are the most affected groups.
The actions promoted include different areas and approaches: care for non-professional caregivers through the Respir program; support for care professionals; legal advice; promotion of healthy habits to prevent and improve people's emotional well-being; promotion of the therapeutic benefits of cultural creation, or the promotion of employment, to name a few examples. For Lluïsa Moret, deputy of the Area of Equality and Social Sustainability of the Barcelona Provincial Council, "public administrations must respond to the needs of people with mental health problems through methodologies, resources and tools, but we must also address the causes that provoke them, with active prevention policies to avoid the situations of vulnerability that trigger them".
In the social sphere, one of the main lines of action of the Barcelona Provincial Council focuses on economic support for social entities that provide mental health care, offering direct care and follow-up services to affected individuals and their environment. Through the subsidy program, projects from more than 75 entities and federations in the province are financed, aimed at affected individuals and their family and community environment.
Local councils also receive support from the Barcelona Provincial Council to diagnose and improve the coordination of all municipal agents involved in mental health. This support is materialized in the drafting of a local action plan aimed at promoting well-being, full participation, inclusion, and accessibility of people in municipal life. In this regard, in the last three years, support has been offered to eight municipalities in the province.
In the field of employability, the Network of Technical Employment Offices has been providing services for 19 years to people diagnosed with mental health disorders, supporting them in their insertion and permanence in the labor market. During the first half of 2021, 1,500 people were attended to.
And in the field of culture, this autumn the Barcelona Provincial Council has launched CulturaMENT, a pilot program in twelve municipalities, with activities to extend the positive effects of theater, music or art to older people, 20% of whom are estimated to suffer from some type of mental or neurological disorder.
All these actions draw a shared roadmap with the municipalities and entities of the province, which have a strategic role in the mental health care of people. Among all of us, let's take care of mental health for a cohesive, inclusive society that guarantees the rights of all. Welcome be this year's La Marató of TV3!
These actions by the Barcelona Provincial Council respond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs were proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2015, and are part of the global Agenda for 2030. The Barcelona Provincial Council assumes their fulfillment and deploys its action to support local governments in the province in accordance with these SDGs.