One in five Spanish children has a mental disorder

SPAIN A recent report by the Ministry of Health states that between 10% and 20% of Spanish children and adolescents has a psychiatric disorder that undermines their self-image and self-esteem, which impacts on the family environment. Only one fifth of them have been 'correctly' diagnosed, adds the report. These disorders have an 'enormous' repercussion and are usually behind such 'manifestations' as mental illness (not the same as a disorder), suicides, addictions, eating disorders, as well as arrested emotional or mental development, social adaptability and the like. The answer is in early diagnosis and treatment, which would also mean 'enormous savings' to the health service. However,>>>
the report also says that 'infant/adolescent' psychiatry is 'looking for its own place' in Spain; a degree specializing in this kind of Psychiatry was created by decree only recently and is still in an approval phase (but without much hope of being approved in the near future, one ventures). In a speech last month, the then Minister of Health, Leire Pajín, said that about 9% of Spaniards have a mental disorder and it is calculated that over 15% will have some kind of disorder at some time in their lives. The report also points out that between 2.5% and 3% of the Spanish population -that's over one million people- have a serious mental illness. (Prospero note: a major article on the subject mental health in Spain is under way, but one thing we know: the country is totally unprepared for treating it.)