AZORES | Psychologist ratio in Regional Health Service remains higher than national average
On Monday, the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, highlighted the strengthening of community-based care as one of the main priorities in the response to mental health in the Azores, defending the view that the geographical dispersion of the archipelago must not be an obstacle to accessing the care that Azoreans need.
She spoke at the opening of the conference “Mental Health – An Anxious Society,” organised by the “Açoriano Oriental” newspaper at the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive.
Mónica Seidi highlighted the strengthening of responses in terms of primary healthcare and community-based intervention as one of the key priority areas, seeking to ensure that mental health support is provided, wherever possible, as close as possible to where people live.
“We have nine islands, three hospitals and three psychiatric services. We have been increasing the number of professionals, and we know that there are still needs to which we must continue to respond. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight the progress made in recent years,” she said.
In this context, the Regional Secretary revealed that the Region has seen the ratio of psychiatrists rise from 5.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022 to 6.5 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2026.
On the islands without hospital, the provision of care will be supplemented by using telemedicine wherever possible, as well as by the travel of specialist doctors and closer collaboration between Psychiatry and General Practice, notably through specialist consultancy for GPs.
The government official also highlighted the steps taken to strengthen the provision of psychology services in primary healthcare. The number of psychologists in Island Health Units has risen from 19 in 2019 to 34 in 2026, and further recruitment needs have been identified.
This expansion has also been reflected in the volume of care provided, with psychology consultations in primary healthcare rising from around 18,800 in 2019 to approximately 30,000 in 2025.
Across the Regional Health Service, there are currently more than 60 psychologists, corresponding to a ratio of around 26 professionals per 100,000 inhabitants – more than double the ratio registered in the National Health Service.
Mónica Seidi also highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen specialist medical care – currently provided by 16 psychiatrists, supplemented by residents undergoing specific training and mechanisms for collaboration between institutions – with a view to tailoring the response to the specific characteristics of a health system spread across the nine islands.
Another of the priorities identified by the Regional Secretary involves reinforcing community mental health teams, promoting a multidisciplinary approach closer to the population and greater coordination across different levels of care.
These teams play a key role in the prevention, early identification, monitoring and referral of cases requiring specialised care, helping to ensure a response that is less focused on hospital-based care alone.
“Much has been achieved, but we know there is still a great deal to be done. The way forward is to continue strengthening and improving our responses, bringing care closer to people and ensuring that no Azorean is denied access to mental health care simply because they live on a particular island,” concluded Mónica Seidi.
GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU
