Origin and meaning of Mental Health Day
The commemoration of this day began in 1982 and was promoted by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). This year’s motto is: “Making Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority”.
The definition of health (1946) proposed by the WHO is to have a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In this way, links are established between physical and mental health, as pillars of personal well-being.
The increase in cases following the Covid-19 pandemic has put the issue of mental health on the table. According to WHO figures, around 110 million people live with some type of mental health disorder in Europe.
In our country, the report on mental health ‘Headway Mental Health 2022’ places Spain as the second country with the most cases of mental health disorders on the continent, only behind our neighbor Portugal.
Both countries are the only ones that exceed 20% of cases, that is, 1 in 5 Spaniards suffers from some mental health disorder.
The mental disorders that most affect Spaniards are: depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Another issue that urgently needs to be reviewed in Spain is child and adolescent mental health. According to UNICEF data collected by the Spanish Mental Health Confederation, one in seven young people between the ages of 10 and 19 suffers from a mental disorder.
