Every Andalucian province to end placing minors in adult mental health wards by 2027

Imagine a teenager in a vulnerable mental health crisis being admitted to a ward full of adults. Thankfully, regional officials say that scenario will soon be history across Andalucia, as dedicated youth units expand to all eight provinces.

Huelva and Cordoba complete the map

Specialist inpatient units for under-18s will open in Huelva and Cordoba during 2027, giving all eight provinces a dedicated service. Antonio Sanz, first vice-president of the Junta and minister for Presidency, Health and Emergencies, called mental health a priority for the regional government and said children and teenagers are a particular concern.

Huelva’s unit will start on a temporary basis at the Vazquez Diaz Hospital, next to the existing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, with four beds, where it will stay until the new Maternal and Child Hospital is built. Cordoba’s unit is due to open in the last quarter of 2027, according to the Junta’s plans.

Why are separate wards important for families?

Only Jaen and Almeria had dedicated hospital units for minors before 2019. Children elsewhere were placed in adult wards or sent to those two provinces, often hours from home. Cadiz, Granada, Seville and Malaga have since opened their own units, which are built around the clinical and personal needs of young patients and treat conditions such as eating disorders and psychosis, as well as suicide risk.

More staff and school support

Close to 100,000 minors are treated in the region’s community mental health units, Sanz said. The Junta says 137 professionals have been added for young patients, bringing the dedicated workforce to 455. Another 412 school reference nurses have also been trained to spot warning signs in classrooms.

Other specialist care is already running. Malaga’s Regional University Hospital has a mental health unit in its Guadalmedina building, and La Linea de la Concepción hospital offers intensive care to young people in crisis. Seville’s Muñoz Cariñanos Hospital runs an intensive day hospital for eating disorders, which the Junta describes as a national first, and Malaga and Granada have specialist eating disorder units developed from 2020.

Thankfully, now where a child lives in Andalucia should no longer decide whether they can be treated close to home once the last two units open.