34% of the Spanish population suffers from some mental illness, among which anxiety, sleep and depressive disorders stand out, especially among women and those over 50 years of age, according to a report from the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health has made public the Report on the National Health System (SNS) 2023, which offers a detailed overview of the health status of the Spanish population and the performance of the health system. The data on mental health in Spain stands out particularly, as it reveals that 34% of the population suffers from some mental illness, a figure that exceeds the estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), which states that “one of “Every eight people in the world suffer from a mental disorder.”
The SNS 2023 Report highlights that “mental health problems constitute one of the epidemics of our century” and emphasizes the need to “prevent, confront and manage” these problems. Among Spaniards over 50 years of age, the percentage rises to 40%, and reaches 50% in those over 85 years of age.
The report, based on data from 2022 and 2023, indicates that the most common disorders are anxiety disorders, sleep disorders and depressive disorders. Anxiety affects 10% of the general population, being more common in women (14%) than in men (7%), and also affecting three out of every 100 people under 25 years of age.
“From the psychotherapy consultation we see an increasing demand for problems such as depression, burnout, eating disorders, anxiety and personality disorders, among others. Although the professional approach is complex and personalized, we can highlight the following vulnerabilities that present a significant number of symptoms such as perfectionism, hyper-demanding, an excessive need for control, etc. The latest data provided by the report on health in our country corroborate the reality that psychology professionals experience in our daily lives, which surpasses the reality. nine points the incidence of mental health problems in our country, according to previous estimates by the WHO,” Juan Jesús Ruiz, professor of the Degree in Psychology at UNIE University, explained to WebConsultas.
Women and older adults have more mental health problems
In 2022, 343 cases of mental and behavioral disorders were registered per 1,000 inhabitants, with a higher prevalence in women (374.2) than in men (310.5). Prevalence increases with age, being the lowest in children aged 0 to 4 years (94.8 per 1,000) and the highest in people aged 90 to 94 years (562.7 per 1,000).
There is a pattern defined by sex: in childhood and adolescence, men are the most affected, while, in youth and adulthood, women present more cases. The age-adjusted prevalence is 331 cases per 1,000 inhabitants (305.2 in men and 353.8 in women), 4.7% more than in 2019.
Anxiety disorders: very prevalent in Spain
Anxiety disorders are the most frequently registered mental health problems in primary care, with 106.5 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by sleep disorders (81.6 per 1,000) and depressive disorders (47.8 per 1,000). 1,000). This trend has increased from 2016 to 2022.
In those under 25 years of age, anxiety disorders are also the most common (32.8 per 1,000), followed by specific learning disorders (29.0) and hyperkinetic problems (24.9). These problems have increased by 29.5%, 26.6% and 5.2%, respectively, between 2019 and 2022.
In 2022, cases of anxiety disorders were more common in women (137.7 per 1,000) than in men (73.9 per 1,000). Prevalence increases with age and is highest in women of all ages, affecting 17% of women between 40 and 79 years old. The age-adjusted prevalence is 101.6 per 1,000 inhabitants (70.9 in men and 130.4 in women), 16.2% less than in 2021, the year with the highest rate of 121.3 per 1,000 inhabitants .
Life expectancy at birth and years of healthy life
The report highlights that the indicators affected by the pandemic have recovered: life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years (85.7 for women and 80.4 for men), close to 83.5 years in 2019. At age 65, people are expected to live 21.1 years longer (19.1 years for men and 23.0 for women). Healthy life expectancy at birth is 79.4 years (77.4 for men and 81.4 for women). At age 65, one expects to live 18.7 years in good health (17.4 years for men and 19.9 for women).
75.5% of citizens rate their health status as good or very good (79.3% men and 71.9% women). The positive perception of health is greater in people with higher (85.9%) and intermediate (81.9%) education, compared to those with a lower educational level (66.4%).
The report also examines diseases with a high burden of disease: cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors and respiratory diseases. 3% of men and 1% of women have ischemic heart disease, a figure that exceeds 10% in men over 70 years of age. Cerebrovascular disease affects 1.6% of people in Spain, reaching 10% in those over 85 years of age.
Malignant tumors of the colon and rectum, which affect 6.6 out of every 1,000 people, are almost twice as common in men than in women, especially in those over 65 years of age (3% in men and 2% in women). Regarding breast cancer, 4% of women over 65 years of age have been diagnosed at some point. Malignant tumors of the trachea, bronchi and lung are more than twice as common in men (2.4 per 1,000) than in women (1.1 per 1,000).
