Spain sets up 'Crying Room' or La Lloreria to dispel stigma surrounding mental health issues

In order to dispel the stigma around mental health, a building in the Spanish capital Madrid has come up with a unique concept. Known as the Crying Room or La Lloreria, the space features signs that tell visitors that it is okay to ask for help when dealing with mental health issues, according to Reuters. La Lloreria features signs that include, “Enter and cry” or “I too have anxiety”. One corner also features phones with a list of people to call if visitors are feeling low, including psychologists. Jon Nelsson, a Swedish student who lives in Madrid said that the space was a “really excellent idea to visualise the mental health issue”. He added that in Spain, as well as many other countries, a certain stigma surrounds the expression of sadness and crying. According to government data, 3,671 people died by suicide in Spain in the year 2019, making it the second most common cause of death after natural causes. About 5.8 percent of the total population in the country suffer from anxiety, while one in ten adolescents has been diagnosed with a mental health condition. On the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10 October this year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a 100 million Euro or $116 million mental healthcare drive. Calling it “a public health problem” that the country must make visible and talk about, Sanchez launched the healthcare drive, which includes services like a 24-hour suicide helpline. In terms of statistics, mental health remains one of the leading causes of non-fatal disease burden in India, with one in seven people affected by mental disorders of varying severity in 2017, as per News18. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in 2019, a total of 1,39,123 suicides were reported in the country. This marked a rise of 3.4 percent in comparison with the data from 2018. A collection of suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022-27546669