About 6,700 people are in Navarre with a disability of 33% due to severe mental disorders, although many have not requested this disability to make a problem that is stigmatized visible. This was explained by the managing director of Elkarkide, Marcos Resano, in the parliamentary committee.

“We are 19%, and if we talk about the employment rate, we are the group with the least job opportunities. The reason is closely related to the social stigma of people with severe mental disorders.” In fact, Elkarkide provides a great force in the access to employment of these people and, above all, they have two lines of business: distribution in advertising and mailboxes and environmental actions. However, Resano has asked Parliament to help the division end and there are job opportunities, because work is an important step towards overcoming stigma and achieving stability and independence.

Elkarkide is a not-for-profit company that will be a society limited to a foundation. It has four occupational centers with 225 places (one in Tudela and Noáin and two in Pamplona) and has different employment programs underway.

Resano has also offered data from the World Health Organization: By 2030, one in four people is expected to have a serious mental disorder throughout their lives and between 1% and 3% suffer from a serious mental disorder. Not in vain, society is increasingly aware of the importance of mental health, especially since the pandemic.