Through an institutional manifesto agreed upon with political groups, the City Council defended the importance of creating an inclusive work environment
On the occasion of the commemoration of World Mental Health Day, on October 10, the Mijas City Council read a motion this Tuesday advocating the implementation of all necessary measures to promote mental health, especially in the environment. labor. The event was attended by members of the Association of Relatives and People with Mental Illness of the Costa del Sol (AFESOL), who also read a manifesto on the matter.
It must be remembered that the motto chosen to commemorate this date is ‘Work and mental health, a fundamental link’. This was decided by the Spanish Mental Health Confederation, after a popular vote of the associations that comprise it, thus motivating the participation of all entities and people linked to the associative movement.
The text, which was approved during the last plenary session, indicates that in Spain records have been broken for sick leave related to mental health and behavioral problems. “Almost 600,000 people in 2023, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, which is 15.8% more than the previous year. Figures that have doubled in seven years,” said the councilor for Social Inclusion of the Mijas City Council, Melisa Ceballos (PP), during the reading of the text.
In Andalusia, a worrying record was also reached: 7,008 people requested leave. This figure represents an increase of 1,033 people compared to the previous year and almost triples, as in the Spanish average, the figure from seven years ago (in 2016 the casualties were 2,431 people). The casualties of young people have increased by 90% since the pandemic.
Stigma and prejudice are still deeply rooted in the workplace. In fact, 37.9% of people with a diagnosis have experienced discrimination at work and only 12.9% share their mental health problem with colleagues, for fear of being labeled. This stigma, which generates even more suffering for the person, can translate into lack of trust, lack of understanding of the situation, discrimination or paternalism, which makes recovery difficult, as stated in the approved text.
Regarding this last aspect, both public administrations and groups that work on mental health consider that an inclusive and respectful work environment avoids situations of rejection and harassment, among other problems. “We must cultivate spaces where self-esteem, security and confidence grow. It is about creating a climate for the person to show their best version and their true capacity. Teamwork and the stimulation of understanding will help break down the barrier of lack of communication,” advocated Joaquín Sibajas, Afesol Salud Mental user, who participated in the reading of the manifesto, and who also insisted on the need to develop resources that facilitate the labor insertion of people with mental health problems and the commitment to promote actions, projects and strategies that represent a change in the way of seeing and caring for mental health.
The president of Afesol Mental Health, Cristian González, also participated in the event, who expressed another major concern of society, continuous stress, “which has become normalized, and this way of using new technologies, social networks, which If they do not stop us, it will mean that, by the year 2030, the first cause of disability will be mental health problems and that one in four people will have a mental health problem throughout their lives.”
Reflections after the manifesto
After reading the manifesto, other issues related to mental health were also assessed. The mayor and spokesperson for the PP of Mijas, Mario Bravo, delved into the need to include action protocols on this matter in the occupational risk prevention departments of companies and public entities, “and there are already statistics that reflect that mental health is behind subsequent physical problems, so we have to be able to tackle it and I think it is good that today we put the focus on that problem.”
For his part, the socialist councilor Josele González recalled that 10 percent of the Andalusian population uses some type of psychotropic drug daily, and that one in three Andalusians experiences a mental health problem throughout their life. “and despite everything, the Andalusian Government has preferred to eliminate the General Directorate of Mental Health, something that groups like Afesol have demanded precisely, who want it to be restored and for the Minister of Health to reverse this measure.”
Taking advantage of the presence of Afesol at this event, Vox spokesperson, Juan Carlos Cuevas, insisted on the importance of expediting the completion of the sheltered housing for this group, which is being built on a municipal plot of Camino de Campanales, “and it seems that The Junta de Andalucía and the Provincial Council are also going to help financially so that next year we can have this care center, which will be a reality thanks to the work and drive of Afesol.” The councilor for Social Inclusion, Melisa Ceballos, also referred to this group, recalling that “the Mijas City Council fully supports the work and services offered by Afesol, and we always try to get as involved as possible in everything they propose.”
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