Spain Advances Mental Health Awareness with Professional and Community Initiatives in November 2025

In November 2025, Spain has taken significant steps to elevate mental health awareness through both professional discourse and community engagement programs. Two key events highlight the country’s multifaceted approach to improving mental health discourse and care.

On November 7 in Madrid, the Division of Clinical Psychology and Health of the General Council of Psychology hosted the conference “Psychology, Mental Health, and Human Rights.” This event gathered mental health professionals, legal experts, patients, and association representatives to discuss the intersection of mental health with human rights. Attendees shared critical testimonies addressing rights violations such as over-medication, coercion, and lack of autonomy for patients. Francisco Santolaya Ochando, president of the General Council of Psychology, and Sonja Massimo, the Division coordinator, underscored the necessity of ethical dialogue and reforms. Advocates like Celeste Mariner Zambrana from SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA called for respect of autonomy and informed consent. The conference highlighted the need for legislative reform to ban involuntary confinement based on disability and pushed for a paradigm shift toward “zero restraints” and more humane, individualized care, alongside increased investment in mental health services (source 147091).

Concurrently, Petrer is preparing to celebrate its Semana de la Salud from November 24 to 28, focusing on mental health this year. This annual event, ongoing since 2009, promotes healthy habits and community involvement in primary care. Organized by the Petrer Health Council together with the town hall and local associations, it aims to connect citizens with free mental health resources available locally. The program includes a variety of activities such as workshops, mindfulness sessions, yoga, film forums, a healthy walk, and volunteer meetings. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Begoña Román Maestre, philosopher and professor at the University of Barcelona, during the official inauguration on November 26 (source 147095).

Together, these initiatives reflect Spain’s commitment to advancing mental health awareness at both the systemic level through professional advocacy and legislation, as well as at the grassroots level through community engagement and education. The dialogue in Madrid is fostering a human rights-based approach emphasizing autonomy and ethical treatment, while Petrer’s week-long event mobilizes community resources to improve emotional and psychological well-being among residents.

These complementary efforts demonstrate a national embrace of mental health as a critical public health priority requiring both legal reform and active citizen participation, poised to enhance Spain’s mental health landscape in the coming years.