Sicily's mental health system faces crisis as €40 million remains unused, says PD lawmaker

Michele Catanzaro, the Democratic Party leader in Sicily's regional health council (ARS), warned that the region's mental‑health system is collapsing. A dossier from the Italian Society of Psychiatric Epidemiology shows a regional index of –0.21, one of the lowest in Italy, a 30 % rise in youth psychological distress, a 10 % increase in psychiatric emergency department visits, staffing below the national average and territorial services (TSO) almost double the rest of the country.

Catanzaro criticised the regional government for leaving more than €40 million allocated to therapeutic pathways idle, while families wait for help and mental‑health centres operate only as reduced outpatient units. He also highlighted administrative paralysis: the regional health council has not been convened since July 2024, the technical coordination has been stalled since January 2025, and the last meeting with the health department occurred in December 2025. He called for the immediate deployment of the funds, reactivation of the oversight bodies, strengthening of territorial services and an extraordinary plan for young people.

The lawmaker urged that mental health be treated as an “absolute priority” for the region.