Specialist and acute mental health care

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you will know how acute and specialist mental health care works in Spain and where to turn.

Start with "Psychiatric emergencies and involuntary admission (ingreso involuntario)". It explains how urgent psychiatric care, observation and admission work, and what safeguards protect you or a family member. The other pages cover medication, adult ADHD and autism assessment, child and teen care, addiction, and eating disorders. Pick the one that matches your situation.

Help with suicidal thoughts, trauma after violence, and mental health around pregnancy and birth is covered in other topics.

Key rules

• Admission review: Involuntary admission has no fixed maximum length, but the judge sets a review period and reports are due at intervals of no more than six months.
• Urgent admission: When a person must be admitted at once, the centre has to tell the court within 24 hours, and the court must then ratify the admission within 72 hours of receiving that notice.
• Emergency numbers: In a psychiatric emergency call 112 or go to hospital urgencias; the free 24-hour line 024 is for crisis and suicide-prevention support.
• 024 line: 024 is free, confidential and open 24 hours for crisis and suicide-prevention support, not for dispatching an ambulance.
• Ordinary drugs: Antidepressants and most antipsychotics need only an ordinary prescription, and your GP can write it.
• Controlled drugs: Narcotics and psychotropic drugs such as benzodiazepines and stimulants carry extra controls, and pharmacies keep a record of these prescriptions.

Specialist and acute mental health care: the whole process, step by step

• In a crisis, call 112 or go to hospital urgencias: Right away, at any time; the free 24-hour line 024 is for crisis and suicide-prevention support

• Register for a regional health card and a GP if you plan to use public specialist care: Before you need a referral; it normally needs municipal registration (empadronamiento)

• Ask your GP for a referral to the specialist service you need: After you have your health card and GP; addiction services are often open without a referral

• Get your prescriptions and learn which medicines are controlled: At each prescription; some controlled medicines are limited to a maximum of 30 days

• If a person must be admitted at once, the centre tells the court: Within 24 hours of the admission

• The court ratifies the urgent admission: Within 72 hours of receiving the notice

• The judge reviews the admission: At the interval the judge sets, with reports at intervals of no more than six months

Documents you may need

• Padrón certificate — Getting an adult ADHD or autism assessment in Spain

• A Spanish prescription issued by a doctor in Spain — Antidepressants, anxiety medicine and other psychiatric drugs in Spain

• A Spanish controlled prescription from a Spanish doctor for narcotics — Antidepressants, anxiety medicine and other psychiatric drugs in Spain

• Regional health card — Getting an adult ADHD or autism assessment in Spain

• A prescription from another EU or EEA country — Antidepressants, anxiety medicine and other psychiatric drugs in Spain

• Diagnostic report — Getting an adult ADHD or autism assessment in Spain

Specialist and acute mental health care: questions that cross several articles

Who do I call in a psychiatric emergency if I am only visiting Spain?

Call 112 or go to the urgencias of the nearest general hospital, whatever your status. The hospital will not refuse urgent psychiatric stabilisation. Read Psychiatric emergencies and involuntary admission (ingreso involuntario) next.

Will I be billed for emergency psychiatric care without Spanish public cover?

EU, EEA and Swiss visitors with the European Health Insurance Card are generally not billed beyond local co-payments. Other uninsured non-residents may be invoiced at regional public prices, and privately insured visitors are normally billed through their insurer.

What coverage do I need to use public ADHD, autism, child or addiction services?

You normally need the regional health card, a health centre and a GP who refers you, and registration generally needs empadronamiento. Uninsured adults registered as residents for at least 90 days can request access, and children are covered. Read Getting an adult ADHD or autism assessment in Spain, Child and teen mental health care in Spain, what parents should know, and Getting help for alcohol, drug or gambling problems in Spain.

Can a family member have me admitted against my will, and what rights do I keep?

Ordinarily admission needs a judge's authorisation, usually requested by the hospital or family with a medical report. You keep the right to be heard by the judge, to have your own lawyer, and to appeal.