Territorial inequality in mental health: driving an hour and a half when your daughter has a psychiatric crisis

“When we go to the Tremp emergency room or to the Hospital Arnau de Vilanova of Lleida there is no psychiatrists on call neither on weekends nor at night. You are seen if you have had a self-injury attempt, to save his life, but If you ask to speak to a psychiatrist, there isn’t one.” says the mother. She assures that the reports are sometimes “poorly written”. because “they are not psychiatrists” who attend to the young woman, and “they do not make explicit” whether it has been a suicide attempt or self-injury because “they do not perform a psychological or psychiatric exploration of the situation”.

Moreno is teacher and has a reduction in working hours. Collects the 100% of her salary to take care of the young woman, who is currently admitted to the Hospital de Santa Maria de Lleida. In the last year, it has already had Several episodes of severe self-injury and suicide attempts. (medication overdose or severe self-injury). uncontrolled) that have led her to the emergency room.

“We, in Tremp, when we have some urgency other than an autolytic attempt-for example, an anxiety crisis or intrusive thoughts-what is more closely associated with psychiatric emergencies is the Hospital de Santa Maria, which is in the capital, an hour and a half by car.” Moreno relates. Moreover, according to her, in Lleida there are no specialized psychiatric units, they are generalist. When Moreno’s daughter had to be admitted because of the seriousness of her eating disorder, the mother was obliged to go to the Barcelona (at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu) after three months of waiting. In addition, the girl has now entered a borderline personality disorder and self-injury program. specific to the Vall d’Hebron Hospital.

Moreno denounces the “territorial inequality” and the “loneliness” of families caring for people in situations like their daughter’s. “We are not accompanied, there is no protocol, no resources. It’s very hard,” she says. Daughter has a mental health issue since the age of 14. “In your case, there was no trigger. Borderline personality disorder is multifactorial. My daughter’s case is under study,” says the mother.

“Hyperalert state.”

The young woman Has many occupations and hobbies: plays the violin, sings in a choir, takes writing courses…. “But his mental health problem makes academic life very difficult for him, even though he is a person who loves to learn and who has a good cognitive level.” the mother.

Moreno assures that her daughter does not want to die, but neither does she want to live with so much suffering. “The people who accompany her sometimes we feel very lonely and exhausted. As a mother, I have been very lucky to find support from associations to be able to manage frustration and sadness.” he says. However, he denounces that the health care system “is not prepared to deal with complex mental health cases.” like her daughter’s and their families.