by Dr Teresa Alves dos Reis, Psychiatry resident, PhD student at NOVA Medical School, Nova University of Lisbon

 

Portugal is a small, sunny, welcoming Southern European country. In general an increasing number of visiting tourists agree on its beauty and good quality of life, but this idyllic image is not felt or lived by a large proportion of the population, as mental health data clearly show.

The first Portuguese Mental Health epidemiologic study, published in 2013, demonstrated that Portugal had the second highest 12-month prevalence for depression in Europe. The same study showed an average waiting time to access adequate mental health care of five years. Other recent data highlight the important effect of economic crisis on the Portuguese mental state.

Despite having a comprehensive mental health plan, Portuguese mental health stakeholders agree on the extreme lack of investment and implementation of important mental health intervention measures such as focusing on early detection and treatment of depressive disorder, implementing strong therapeutic guidelines (avoiding the excessive utilisation of benzodiazepines, which is very high, actually the highest DDD utilisation comparing to other European countries), availability of psychologic treatment (Portugal has one of the smallest numbers of psychologists per capita working for the National Health Service of Portugal). At the same time there isn’t any national policy for the promotion and prevention of depressive disorders.

We could say that melancholy is an inherent characteristic of Portuguese people, inherited from fado and the feeling of saudade, but the reality felt by the people suffering from depression may have other more important factors to blame.

112 is the national emergency number in Portugal.

Voz de Apoio (http://www.vozdeapoio.pt) is anonymous and confidential. You can speak to them by calling 225 50 60 70 or through Skype, face-to-face, or writing.

Sos Voz Amiga (http://www.sosvozamiga.org) is available daily from 4pm to 12am by calling 213 544 545, 912 802 669, or 963 524 660. Free Green Line callers can call 800 209 899 from 9pm to 12am.

Sos Estudante (http://sosestudante.pt) provides anonymous, confidential support every day from 8pm to 1am by calling 915 246 060, 969 554 545, 239 484 020 as well as through Skype.

© 2017 Volunteering and International Psychiatry Special Interest Group, all rights reserved. Reproduction by permission only.