Mental health has often been underestimated and marginalized in the country. According to the National Plan for Strengthening Community Mental Health Services 2018 - 2021, of the more than 7 thousand first level of care facilities, only 14.07% of level I-3 and I-4 facilities offer psychology services (often with a professional available).
The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this situation, exposing gaps in limited access to adequate mental health services. During 2021, more than one million 368 thousand cases seen related to mental health problems were reported, and in 2022 this figure increased to one million 631 thousand, representing a worrying increase of 19.21%.
The lack of resources and stigmatization surrounding mental disorders have contributed to a worrisome situation. Depression, anxiety and other disorders have become increasingly common, not to mention cases of suicidal ideation.
Since 2018, Socios En Salud through the Mental Health (SAME) program, in coordination with the Mental Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), has focused on strengthening the coverage, capacity and quality of mental health services at the community level in primary and hospital care, in order to improve care and adherence to treatment of disorders, especially for people who have fewer possibilities.
Mental health recovery and accompaniment
In the last year, we have achieved a remarkable accomplishment by carrying outscreenings on more than 13 thousand people, which has allowed us to identify mental health problems at an early stage. It is important to highlight that 88% of these screenings were carried out using a mobile application called ChatBot, which includes mental health questionnaires validated by the Minsa and the World Health Organization (WHO). This not only facilitated the assessment, but also ensured the accuracy and reliability of the results.
The lack of resources and stigmatization surrounding mental disorders have contributed to a worrisome situation. Depression, anxiety and other disorders have become increasingly common, not to mention cases of suicidal ideation.
Socios En Salud implementó el primer Hogar Protegido en Perú para personas que viven con esquizofrenia, estableciendo un modelo que ha inspirado la creación de más de 50 hogares similares en todo el paÃs.
With regard to mental health care, SES provided support to more than 8,000 people. Of this total, 62% of care was led by psychology professionals, while 38% was provided by Community Health Agents (CHAs) previously trained in Psychological First Aid (PAP), allowing us to reach remote and vulnerable communities that would otherwise have lacked access to mental health services.
The screening results revealed a variety of mental health issues affecting the population, 39% presented signs and symptoms of depression, 14% showed signs of violence and self-esteem issues, 12%, anxiety, and a concerning 7% had suicidal thoughts. In addition, many of the participants had one or more mental health problems, underscoring the complexity of these challenges.
Finally, we would like to highlight a particularly significant achievement: the assessment of 500 people living with schizophrenia. Encouragingly, 81% of these agreed to receive accompaniment by SES and its ACSs.
Despite our progress, our work does not stop here. In the framework of Mental Health Day (October 10), we reaffirm our continued commitment to the detection and evaluation of signs and symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, violence, among others, making use of technological and human resources to care for and promote the recovery of the mental health of the most vulnerable populations.
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