More than 1.3 million Peruvians went to the establishments of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) to seek treatment for their mental disorders, reported the Information and Education Center for the Prevention of Drug Abuse (Cedro).
The figure, recorded throughout 2024, was revealed within the framework of the World Mental Health Day, commemorated yesterday, October 10.
“The most frequent diagnoses reported by the National Institute of Mental Health (INSM) are anxiety, depression and problematic alcohol consumption,” indicated Milton Rojas, Cedro Mental Health coordinator.
According to the entity, in that period, More than 250 thousand people were treated for depression. 75% of the cases corresponded to women.
Situation
The country has 291 Community Mental Health Centers that provide free psychological and psychiatric care to minors and adults. However, gaps still persist that prevent all people who need help from receiving adequate support, denounced Cedro.
“Mental health is no longer an invisible issue. Today we know that anxiety, depression and problematic alcohol consumption are present in all social groups. We cannot continue postponing this conversation,” Rojas expressed.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) had reported that depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders were related to 90% of suicide cases in the country.
The sector warned that people with suicidal ideas often verbalize their discomfort with phrases such as “I would like to sleep and not wake up”, “life has no meaning for me”.
Also They may show changes in their behavior, they may isolate themselves, express hopelessness, among others, it was reported.
Alert
Almost the 90% of patients with mental disorders do not seek care due to lack of knowledge, stigma or economics.
