Spain’s Health Ministry has published the first SEDANASM study results on mental health in areas hit by the DANA floods of 29 October 2024. The findings make a clear case for treating recovery as a continuing public-health responsibility: 15 to 18 months after the floods, 49% of surveyed adults reported moderate or high psychological distress, while 15.7% showed symptoms compatible with probable post-traumatic stress disorder.
These are screening results, not clinical diagnoses for individual participants. But their scale, and the time since the floods, mean that recovery cannot be framed as an emergency that has simply passed. The ministry and the Valencian regional health department launched the study, coordinated by the ministry’s health-emergency centre and the regional epidemiology team, with support from the Carlos III Health Institute’s CIBER network.
The first phase was conducted from February to April 2026 and completed 7,496 interviews with a sample representative by sex and age of people aged six and over in the study areas. It included 6,180 adults, 1,024 children aged 6 to 14 and 292 adolescents aged 15 to 17. Questionnaires assessed psychological distress, post-traumatic stress symptoms and health-related quality of life.
The burden was greater among people who experienced the most severe impact. Symptoms compatible with probable post-traumatic stress disorder were found in 9% of adults reporting moderate impact and 26% of those reporting the greatest impact. The ministry also reported links with economic hardship, previous mental-health problems and lower perceived social support.
The findings for younger people strengthen the case for a response beyond adult services. The study recorded emotional or behavioural difficulties among 25.5% of children aged 6 to 14 and psychological distress among 39.1% of adolescents aged 15 to 17. Two in three children had difficulty attending school after the floods.
The ministry plans two further phases, roughly one and two years after this first one. They should show how problems persist or change and help direct support towards people most affected. Publishing the data is important; its practical value will depend on whether sustained care accompanies the monitoring.
Sources
- La Moncloa · Noticias de los ministerios — Origen de los datos: sitio web de lamoncloa.gob.es. Ministerio de la Presidencia. (https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/) · Source date: 2026-11-12
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-12