Benidorm marks Mental Health Day with the reading of a manifesto and the sharing of experiences by those affected
The first edition of the Solidarity March for Mental Health will wrap up the activities on November 15
On Thursday, the Plaza de Sus Majestades los Reyes de España—located at the foot of Benidorm City Hall—hosted the official event commemorating World Mental Health Day (observed globally this Saturday, October 10). The event featured an official photo of the local council alongside affected individuals, family members, and organisations working in the field, as well as the reading of a manifesto agreed upon by the country's mental health organisations for this year; the manifesto was read aloud by Batiste Such, a service user from AFEM.
Several hundred people took part in the reading of the manifesto, an event presided over by the Councillor for Social Welfare, Ángela Zaragozí, alongside numerous members of the Municipal Council. Also in attendance were service users and professionals from AFEM and various care centres and services—such as SASEM, CRIS, CEEM, and the Day Centre—as well as representatives from other local social associations.
The manifesto—drafted for World Mental Health Day 2026 by the "En Primera Persona" (First-Person) Mental Health Committee and the State Network of Women of the Mental Health Spain Confederation—calls for real social changes that enable young people to build dignified, autonomous, and healthy life plans. It highlights how job and housing insecurity, uncertainty, isolation, and loneliness can impact young people's mental health. Furthermore, it advocates for strengthening community support, fostering social participation, and guaranteeing spaces free from violence—including cyberbullying—all under the slogan "Match with your mental health."
Additionally, the manifesto reiterates—among other points—that a diagnosis should not determine a person's future, and it champions a diverse, inclusive, and healthy society where everyone can reclaim and build their own life plans, relationships, and autonomy. Following the reading of the manifesto, the Mental Health Day commemoration continued in the Town Hall’s assembly hall with a roundtable discussion titled "Rewriting My Story After Diagnosis: The Human Support Network." The session featured Juan Moral, Juanjo Borrego, Anaís Peña, José Ángel Ruiz, and Mónica Villanueva—five service users from CRIS and SASEM—who shared their personal experiences following a mental health diagnosis. Their aim was to help others who have gone through, or may eventually go through, this same process.
The Councillor for Social Welfare publicly thanked these five individuals for "their courage and generosity in giving a voice to a topic that, regrettably, remains taboo for many people and in certain circles." She also highlighted how the audience was able to "learn about and view this process—the diagnosis and all it entails—from five different perspectives," while emphasising the positive impact of letting others know they are not alone, that others have already navigated the path they are currently on, and that there are places to seek help and resources available to improve their situation.
To conclude the activities marking Mental Health Week, AFEM will hold the first Mental Health Solidarity March on November 15. The walk will start at Elche Park, proceed along the Poniente seafront—reaching approximately the site of the former Red Cross post—and then return to the starting point.
