Sort calls for the impulse of specific mental health policies and a National Plan for Suicide Prevention
More than 500 people from the social movement of people with mental health problems and their families, along with social and health professionals and political representatives from the sector, have gathered today for the celebration of World Mental Health Day in Catalonia, at an event co-organized by the Pallars Mental Health Association and the Catalonia Mental Health Federation.
With the slogan “Talk and listen, save lives”, This year's event, held at the Riuet Park in the municipality of Sort, in Pallars Sobirà, has focused on the need to invest resources and work on suicide prevention, given that it is the leading cause of death among young people. It is a social problem, not an individual one, of a magnitude that urgently calls for action not only from a health perspective but also from a social and legal one. Work must also be done, urgently, on the care of survivors.
The event was attended by the mayor of Sort, Raimon Monterde, the Minister of Health, Alba Vergés and the Secretary of Social Affairs and Families, Francesc Iglesias, in addition to the president of the Pallars Mental Health Association, Carlota Canut, and the president of the Catalan Mental Health Federation, Israel Molinero, among other authorities.
The mayor of Sort, Raimon Monterde, has encouraged everyone to “put yourself in the other's shoes and hold onto life every day.” For her part, the president of the Pallars Mental Health Association, Carlota Canut, has requested more resources for the entity's Social Club, for continued socio-community support, for networking in the territory, and so that the “Activated for Mental Health” project can continue.
In his speech, the president of the Catalan Mental Health Federation, Israel Molinero, has thanked the region for its involvement in organizing World Day in Sort and recalled that community programs and services must be guaranteed to create support networks and prevent, among other things, more deaths by suicide. Molinero stressed that “we have community initiatives like Activat, which is a great tool for suicide prevention” and added that, with the collaboration of administration and entities, it needs to be included in the service portfolio.
In this regard, the Secretary of Social Affairs and Families, Francesc Iglesias, has noted that community initiatives like “Activated for Mental Health” and Obertament need to be transitioned “to scale these proven successes across the territory” and added that the model for integrated care with the third sector needs to be forged. Lastly, the Minister of Health, Alba Vergés, stated that “it is our responsibility and we can commit to a Suicide Prevention Plan” and added that the network of resources needs to be woven together with institutions, associations, and society.
A group of people connected to the Pallars Mental Health Association have read a manifest in which it is insisted that “we all have a duty to build a society where all people feel they have lives worth living.” They added that this “requires inclusive policies and strategies that encompass work at the individual, community, and institutional levels, and that the participation of everyone is necessary to achieve effective social and political reforms.” They also demanded that “although there are some initiatives moving towards prevention, Catalonia today still does not have a comprehensive prevention plan.” Finally, they concluded that support is needed for the associative network to continue working towards a community model of mental health care, such as through the continuation and implementation of the Activa’t per la salut mental project, a key project for individuals and families, which advocates for recovery and empowerment.
World Day also featured a performance by Ntlades, who put on an acrobatic show with silks centered around the symbolic idea of strength to hold onto life and mutual support. Likewise, this year's World Day theme, suicide prevention, was realized in the participants' involvement in the visual action. “Life scraps”, ... a cascade of clothes hung in the wind, reflecting hopes and anxieties, but also the reasons why we cling to life and all that is worth living for.
