Andorra Prison Sees 30% Surge in Inmate Psychiatrist Visits in 2024

Mental health visits for inmates at Andorra's prison rose significantly in 2024, with psychiatrist consultations jumping nearly 30%, according to the latest report from the Department of Penitentiary Institutions.

The annual memory, covering data up to November 2024 and published in mid-December, shows psychiatrist visits inside the facility increased from 244 in 2023 to 327 last year. The psychiatrist holds sessions twice weekly on site. Notably, external transfers for specialist care included 40 trips to psychiatry—up from zero the previous year—out of 186 total transfers. This far exceeded other specialties, such as ophthalmology with just 10 transfers.

Psychology consultations also edged up slightly, from 771 in 2023 to 783 in 2024. Two psychologists now visit the prison, up from one the year before, conducting mandatory initial assessments after intake to identify suicide risks and recommend behavioral therapies.

The report underscores the psychiatrist's growing role, as 90% of inmates require chronic or acute psychiatric medication—a point reiterated from the prior year's data. These trends follow discussions last year on improving emotional wellbeing, prompted by the Citizen's Ombudsman report. Authorities introduced measures including a protocol for suicide attempts.

The mental health module, established in April 2023 with two single-occupancy cells, remained fully occupied every month of 2024, though the report does not specify if all occupants had related disorders.

Inmate communications stayed stable overall, predominantly by phone followed by visiting room contact, with a slight uptick toward year-end. Family calls held steady at lower volumes, while intimate visits remained "residual"—appearing in charts for just a couple of months. For preventive detainees, face-to-face intimate visits were "practically non-existent," compared to seven for sentenced inmates and two for preventives in 2023.