Factors impacting mental health in Spain 2022

A recent study performed in Spain in June 2022 found that a person's economic and employment context, and their attitude towards problems in life were the most commonly perceived factors influencing emotional wellbeing, as indicated by approximately six out of 10 respondents. Moreover, perceiving support from family and friends was another relevant determinant of mental health, with approximately 46.2 percent of interviewed adults agreeing with that statement.

Mental health is a major concern

   In recent years, the number of cases of anxiety disorder and depression has been rising in Spain, reaching more than 7.9 million cases of anxiety and around 2.4 million cases of depressive disorder attended by the primary healthcare services in 2021. These results align with recent studies showing that over half of Spaniards considered mental health a major health concern. Anxiety disorders are characterized by causing uncontrollable feelings of worry and fear that affect an individual's life, while people with depression might experience symptoms ranging from low mood or lack of motivation to irritability and sleep problems.

Significant economic and social costs

  As with any disease, mental health disorders entail several direct and indirect costs for health systems, businesses, and individuals. In Spain, spending associated with depression and anxiety increased in the last few years, reaching approximately 1.51 billion euros in 2021, excluding productivity loss from companies. When considering expenditure type, nearly 46 percent of costs related to anxiety and depression, or around 700 million euros, corresponded to temporary sick leave costs, while spending for hospital admissions was valued at around 41 million euros that same year.