Euskadi Leads with Expanded Mental Health Services and Community Support in 2024
Euskadi enhances mental health services in 2024 with a comprehensive care network serving 120,000 patients and community initiatives addressing anxiety on World Mental Health Day.
- • Euskadi served 120,000 different mental health patients in 2024 with Osakidetza's comprehensive network.
- • The region boasts the highest psychiatrist ratio in Spain with 15 per 100,000 inhabitants.
- • BIZI and Lehenak programs focus on suicide prevention and early intervention for psychosis, respectively.
- • Community events like Cabanillas' mental health day provide anxiety management tools and promote wellbeing awareness.
Key details
On World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2025, Euskadi stands out in Spain for its robust mental health care system, having attended to 120,000 different patients in 2024 alone. Osakidetza's network, supported by around 1,600 professionals, includes four psychiatric hospitals with 450 beds, 23 day hospitals, and 50 mental health centers, making Euskadi the region with the highest psychiatrist ratio in Spain at 15 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Strategic health initiatives underscore this commitment. The BIZI program for suicide prevention has trained over 3,700 social agents, while the Lehenak project offers early intervention for roughly 300 patients annually experiencing first-episode psychosis. Specialized units for Eating Disorders in Araba and Bizkaia manage approximately 8,000 consultations each year, focusing intensively on early care to improve patient outcomes.
In parallel with comprehensive clinical care, local community efforts complement the official health strategies. The III Jornada de Salud Mental in Cabanillas del Campo drew over 100 attendees, presenting tools against anxiety through workshops led by psychologists Teresa Ortega and Rebeca López. Sessions emphasized practical anxiety management techniques, including mindful breathing and personal space in relationships, and ended with a collaborative photographic exhibition celebrating life's calming moments.
The Basque Health Department and Osakidetza reiterate their dedication to strengthening mental health services, with a multidisciplinary working group including psychiatrists, psychologists, and patients scheduled to propose enhancements to the network by year-end. This integrated approach reflects a sustained effort to reduce stigma and expand accessible mental health resources across Euskadi.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.