Better mental health in the Valencian Community

The Autonomous Community of Valencia intends to set up 36 mental health day centres to ensure the emotional well-being of all citizens.

The Generalitat is finalising the implementation of 22 Early Detection Units in educational establishments, which are responsible for the early detection of mental illness in students.

In parallel to this development, the tendering process has been launched for the creation of 36 mental health day centres, focusing on 18 centres for adults and 18 centres for children and adolescents.

The head of the Autonomous Mental Health and Addictions Authority of the Valencian Community, Bartolome Perez, said of the centres: “They will work directly in schools”,” referring to the deployment of psychologists in educational establishments to ensure the well-being of students.

These units will detect cases of mental illness and provide psychological treatment. Bartolome Perez emphasised: “The design of the intervention programme has been entrusted to a highly prestigious international expert with extensive experience in the field.”

In addition, an investment of 9 million has been earmarked for the programme to promote emotional well-being in schools, which aims to identify and treat addiction problems, depression and suicide, among others.

In order to provide effective treatment for adults and children, the Generalitat is planning to build 36 new psychiatric clinics. Bartolome Perez emphasised this goal: “We will solve one of the fundamental problems that occurs in the field of mental health, which is the lack of continuity in care.”

There are currently 12 mental health day clinics for adults and two for children and adolescents in the Autonomous Community of Valencia.

With these developments, which are expected to be operational in 2025, the Valencian Community will, as Bartolome Perez emphasised, “place itself “at the same level of management as Catalonia, Euskadi or above Madrid.”