The new president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, visited Parc Taulí this morning in what has been his first public event since taking office, in a gesture “of public commitment from the new government to health services mental health for children, adolescents and young people in our country ”. The president has visited the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service of this institution, where he has held a meeting with its top officials in the interest of the politician, and during which they have been able to explain the different lines of work. and service approach.
The president was received at Parc Taulí by its president, Mariona Creus, the general director, Joan Martí, the director of Mental Health Parc Taulí, Diego Palao, the head of Child and Youth Mental Health, Montserrat Pamias, the head of Nurse Area, Albert Granero, and the referents of the Day Hospital and Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospitalization, Joaquim Puntí and Rebeca Gràcia, respectively. The meeting was also attended by the Mayor of Sabadell, Marta Farrés, the Manager of the Health Region of the Northern Metropolitan Area of CatSalut, Anna Aran, and the Director of Health Sector Vallès Occidental Est of CatSalut, Núria Serra.
Shortly afterwards, in an appearance before numerous media, Pere Aragonès announced the launch by the new Government of what will be the Comprehensive Mental and Emotional Health Plan of Catalonia, which must go far beyond the strictly health, in order to respond to the “emotional crisis caused by the pandemic”, and which wants to give priority to young people and the adolescent population. "After the pandemic, we rebuild life, and we do so by prioritizing young people who have suffered restrictive measures and confinement in one of the most vital stages of life, in which social distancing and confinement is the opposite of which is expected at this stage ”.
Aragonès recalled with figures the remarkable impact that the pandemic has had on the mental health of children and adolescents over the last year: a 127% increase in anxiety disorders in Catalonia and a 33% increase in cases of depression and other mental disorders. With regard to cases of eating disorders, there was an increase of 21,6% in the Parc Taulí compared to the previous year. Another of the highly worrying figures is the increase in the total number of suicide attempts in Catalonia in the last year, which stands at 195% compared to the previous year.
Faced with this, the president has reinforced his message: "it is clear that we must structurally strengthen the field of public health system in our country, which needs to make a leap forward," so it is essential to reach a National Pact for Mental Health, drawn up by consensus ”.
"The pandemic has shaken our lives in every way. If we want to rebuild life, we must also address the whole emotional crisis caused by COVID-19. This is my commitment as President, and so will my Government's commitment ", concluded Aragonès.
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