Tenerife has 415 mental health residential places, Gran Canaria has 422, and La Palma has 45. However, La Gomera and El Hierro have no dedicated places. An analysis per 100,000 inhabitants, conducted by Atlántico Hoy, refutes the argument that this difference is solely due to population size, as La Palma, with fewer inhabitants than the capital islands, proportionally has more resources.
These figures, drawn from the report presented on January 30th to the Parliament of the Canary Islands by ADSPC and Intersindical Canaria, originate from data from the SCS Transparency Portal and ISTAC. The premise is clear: two islands lack resources for admissions or supervised housing for individuals with severe mental disorders.
It is estimated that one in five people in the Canary Islands lives with a mental disorder, according to the ADSPC report. The absence of residential places or supervised housing often leaves families to cope or results in social exclusion, which affects 43.3% of individuals with a severe mental disorder diagnosis in the Canary Islands (2025 data).
The mental health network suffers from what professionals call the 'revolving door' phenomenon, where patients are repeatedly readmitted to acute units due to the lack of a place to continue their recovery post-discharge. These residences, while not curative, provide essential support and structure for recovery.
Tenerife holds the largest infrastructure, alongside reference units at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands. La Palma has recently incorporated a 30-place Day Centre and a 12-place Night Unit in San Andrés y Sauces, funded with 1.5 million euros.
La Gomera and El Hierro opened addiction units in 2026, but still have no residential places or supervised housing for severe mental disorders. A project for a mental health building adjacent to the Hospital Nuestra Señora de los Reyes in El Hierro remains in the study phase.
In 2019, the Ombudsman recommended the Department of Health design a specific protocol for inter-island transfer of mental health patients, a recommendation that was accepted. However, a review of current regulations does not locate such a protocol, only a general framework predating the recommendation.
The expenditure on inter-island travel allowances increased by 41.18% in 2026, according to the counselor, indicating the persistence of the underlying issue.
