TEXT: NURIA DEL OLMO @NURIADELOLMO74 PHOTOS: MÁXIMO GARCÍA
Over one million people have some severe mental illness in Spain. The
psychiatrists estimate that one in every four Spaniards has suffered, is suffering
or will suffer from some psychiatric disorder during their lifetime. Depression
and anxiety are the most common.
Fundación MAPFRE supports various initiatives aimed at improving the lives of people with mental illness and for more than a decade, since 2006, has been conducting innovative programs to improve the quality of life of people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Today, we can proudly say that over 200,000 people with disabilities and mental illness have benefited throughout this period from our grants and projects, the most notable of these being Juntos Somos Capaces [Together We Can]. In its seven years in existence, this program has enabled 3,000-plus companies from all over Spain to collaborate actively by facilitating training and a transition into the workplace for over 2,400 workers with intellectual disabilities. Within this framework, the foundation has also focused on their families, the true protagonists of these people’s development. In this regard, it supports various activities where they can share information, receive advice and learn tactics that can help them improve the relationship with their family members with disabilities.
More information www.fundaciónmapfre.org
We spoke with two experts in this field. We discussed the current situation, the
consequences and the challenges.
Dr. Jerónimo Saiz Dr. Julio Bobes