In Spain, suicide is currently the leading cause of death among young people. Adult suicide is much more common among men than among women (almost three times more). It is alarming that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of girls between the ages of twelve and eighteen hospitalized has skyrocketed due to self-harm.
The research looked at 187 children and adolescents between the ages of seven and seventeen with and without mental health problems. It was led by Professor Lourdes Fañanás (Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona).
“Adolescence is a period of high emotional vulnerability, and an estimated 70% of mental disorders occur during this time,” says Lourdes Fañanás.
The proportion of public mental health professionals in Spain is only 6 per 100,000 inhabitants. At the same time, in Europe as a whole, this figure has tripled.
