Number of individuals with depression diagnosed in Spain in 2020, by gender and age

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems worldwide. In 2020, around 628.8 thousand men and 1,479.7 thousand women were diagnosed with depression in Spain, which represents a share of around 3.2 and 7.2 percent, respectively. The real prevalence, however, is expected to be higher, as many people that suffer from depression have not been diagnosed by a doctor.

Mental health treatment: medication

Mental health treatment commonly involves psychological counseling, medication, or a combination of the two. In Spain, 3.5 percent of the population consumed antidepressants or stimulants, while 12.7 percent used tranquilizers or sleeping medication as of 2020. As with the prevalence of mental disorders, the consumption of these pharmaceuticals is significantly higher in women than in men and increases with age. For instance, 11.1 percent of women over the age of 65 used antidepressants or stimulants in Spain, while 3.6 of men of the same age consumed that type of medication.

Mental health treatment: counseling

In 2020, around 4.8 percent of the Spanish population had consulted a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist. There are still stigma and economic barriers that prevent access to psychological treatment. Although psychological counseling is available free of charge in the National Health System, the reality is that there are not enough resources to provide adequate treatment to everyone who needs it. The number of registered clinical psychologists, accounting for both the public and private sector, amounted to approximately 33.2 thousand in 2019.