• Involved Queen Letizia reaffirms her support for mental health: "It is an issue that matters to us all"
  • Queen Letizia denounces the shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists in Spain: "The figures are stubborn"

Queen Letizia has called on Tuesday for greater investment in mental health, considering that anyone needs "tools to face life" and because an increase in resources is "the guarantee for a more prosperous and equitable future" for all people.

Doña Letizia has once again presided over the institutional act of World Mental Health Day, which this year was held in a hotel in Madrid with the slogan "Mental health, global health: a universal right".

The Queen, on her arrival at the institutional act of World Mental Health Day.GTRES

In her speech at the beginning of the forum, the Queen has expressed the need for institutions and society to listen to those suffering from mental health problems to "know where the action should go" so that "the rights of people with mental pathologies are not further violated".

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With a broken voice.

Queen Letizia's emotion when remembering Marco, a child with a rare disease that touched her heart: "He looked at me and that was enough"

  • Editor: GTRES

Queen Letizia's emotion when remembering Marco, a child with a rare disease that touched her heart: "He looked at me and that was enough"

"Because investment in mental health is the guarantee of a more prosperous, just and equitable future for all people, because we all have limitations, mistrust, insecurities. We all need tools to face life", defended Doña Letizia.

Without mental health, he stressed, "there is no hope and any intention that life is full is extinguished."

The Queen began her speech by reciting the lyrics of a rap by the Madrid musician El Chojín: "I do what I can, I get to what I get and it is not healthy that so much is demanded of me".

"I wouldn't think of trying to rap, out of respect, of course, for artists in this genre. But if any media headlines 'the queen raps for mental health' it will be good that again we try to bring attention to something so important, "said Doña Letizia.

The Queen was accompanied by the acting Minister of Health, José Miñones, and the president of the Mental Health Confederation, Nel González Zapico.

Miñones has assured that mental health "is not only to avoid disease, but goes much further", given the importance of providing tools for prevention, especially to young and old.

"A priority of the country"

"Health is not just the absence of disease (...) Mental health is a priority for the country," said the minister.

In addition to agreeing with the Queen in demanding more resources, González Zapico has advocated for "a social change to end the stigmas" suffered by people with a mental disorder.

Another of his demands has been to "humanize" treatments and eradicate methods such as tying the sick, considering that "there is no study that shows that it is something therapeutic."

The day included a talk between El Chojín and mountaineer Edurne Pasaban to exchange impressions on how they have managed to overcome their mental health problems.

  • Queen Letizia
  • Mental health