Spain Marks World Mental Health Day 2025 with Calls for Rights and Resource Equity
Spain’s World Mental Health Day events emphasized rights, resource equity, and urgent calls to tackle stigma and rising mental health challenges.
- • Over 600 participants attended the World Mental Health Day event in Tàrrega, advocating for mental health as a human right and demanding housing, education, and care rights.
- • Mercè Torrentallé highlighted the need for greater investment and equitable mental health resources across Spain.
- • Raúl Moreno called for a social revolution to prioritize mental health as a government agenda.
- • A Fundación 'la Caixa' debate underlined Spain's underfunded mental health sector, rising suicides among youth, and discussed innovative treatments and stigma reduction.
Key details
On October 10, 2025, Spain observed World Mental Health Day with significant events focusing on dignity, rights, and improved mental health care accessibility. Over 600 people gathered in Tàrrega for the main event organized by Associació Alba and Federació Salut Mental Catalunya, celebrating Alba's 50th anniversary and advocating mental health as a fundamental human right. Key demands included access to housing, decent work, education, and community support, underscoring the need for more investment and territorial equity in mental health services. Mercè Torrentallé, president of Salut Mental Catalunya, stressed the urgency for increased resources, while Raúl Moreno, Secretary General of Social Rights, emphasized that mental health remains a governmental priority and called for a social revolution to address these challenges. Concurrently, a debate by Fundación 'la Caixa' highlighted that one in four Spaniards will face a mental health issue, yet the sector suffers from underfunding leading to staff shortages and long therapy waitlists. Experts noted rising suicide rates, particularly among the youth, accentuating the urgent need for prevention and innovative treatments, including personalized medicine and new therapeutic approaches. The discussion also acknowledged the stigma still surrounding mental disorders in Spain. Additionally, testimonies like that of Marisol Galdón revealed the emotional toll of societal issues, such as workplace discrimination, further illustrating the multifaceted mental health challenges faced by Spaniards.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.