Suicide Helpline 024

The suicide helpline 024 was recently created in May 2022 and forms part of a wider strategy to combat the ongoing effects of COVID on mental health

According to the ministry of health, the objective of this action plan is to contribute to the improvement of mental health by promoting support and healthier coping skills to counter the health and social effects generated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of other factors that affect mental health today. With this end in sight, the document defines priority actions undertaken by the Ministry of Health of the Government of Spain to achieve the strategic lines included in the “Mental Health Strategy of the National Health System 2022-2026” including indicators and expected results.

In order to implement these measures, the central government are providing 100 million euros to fund 6 main lines of intervention. The first action was the creation of a suicide helpline 024, which was activated in early May and received over a thousand calls in the first day.

Other actions include:

  •  The strengthening of human resources in the mental health sector
  •  Optimization of patient care ·
  • Increasing visibility and reducing bias and stigma towards mental health issues·
  • Prevention and early detection of suicidal behaviours·
  • Focus on vulnerable collectives·
  • Prevention of addictive behaviours, with or without substances

You can read the full 42-page approved document in Spanish here.

If you or someone you know may benefit from speaking to a mental health professional, you can find a comprehensive list of qualified psychologists and therapists in the ESHA Spain business directory

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