The Canary Islands have found themselves in the eye of a perfect storm combining precariousness, emotional overload, and a healthcare response that is unable to meet demand. Working days lost due to temporary incapacity caused by psychological disorders have increased by 112% in five years, the highest increase in the country, according to Diario de Avisos. The phenomenon describes an autonomous community particularly hard hit by absenteeism associated with mental health and the consequent productive cost to its economy, which is highly dependent on labor-intensive sectors such as tourism and hospitality.
A problem that goes beyond the islands
The trend in the Canary Islands is part of a nationwide wave: sick leave due to mental disorders has doubled in Spain in recent years and now accounts for a substantial part of sick days in the General Social Security System. The Canary Islands, in particular, ranks at the top of the list of regions for absenteeism linked to mental health, with a recent trend in which psychological problems account for a large part of the upturn in the indicator. The Europa Press agency highlighted the contribution of mental health and pain to more than two-thirds of the increase in absenteeism over the last five years.
The impact is not only human. In 2024, 437,000 temporary disability cases were processed in the archipelago, with an average duration of more than 50 days. The estimated cost of this phenomenon is around €3 billion per year, according to calculations by Adecco and local media. The Canary Islands have a work absenteeism rate of 7.3%, well above the national average, with mental health and population aging as the main factors for sick leave.
At the national level, the trend is equally worrying. In Spain, sick leave due to psychological disorders has doubled in eight years, exceeding 600,000 per year. Mental health has become the second leading cause of absenteeism in the general system, accounting for almost 18% of sick days in 2024. The Bank of Spain estimates that the loss of production associated with temporary disability already represents 5.4% of GDP.
Beyond collapse: the debate on psychedelics
In this context of healthcare saturation, the conventional biomedical paradigm—focused on psychotropic drugs of decreasing efficacy and long waiting lists—is beginning to be questioned. At the same time, a wave of scientific research has reopened the debate on psychedelics as therapeutic tools.
Substances such as psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine, studied at universities such as Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Imperial College London, are showing promising results in the treatment of resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Psychedelics open a window of opportunity for change, even for biological change in the brain,” psychiatrist David Erritzøe, clinical director of the Psychedelic Research Center at Imperial College, recently explained in an interview with elDiario.es. According to Erritzøe, these substances induce greater neural plasticity and can enable patients to “break out of the rigid patterns that sustain depression or addiction.” Last September, the psychiatrist participated in Psymposium Madrid 2025, a meeting that brought together researchers, clinicians, and educators to discuss the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy in Europe.
Clinical trials published in various scientific journals confirm sustained improvements in patients who had not responded to conventional treatments, always under controlled conditions of preparation, therapeutic support, and subsequent integration.
Fuertedélica puts the Canary Islands on the psychedelic map
While Spain takes tentative steps toward regulating new therapies—such as the recent decree on medical cannabis—the conversation about psychedelics is beginning to gain momentum in academic and social circles. Against this backdrop, the island of Fuerteventura will host the fourth edition of Fuertedélica from November 7 to 9, an international conference that will bring together researchers, mental health professionals, artists, and communities around expanded states of consciousness.
The event, to be held at the Corralejo Municipal Auditorium, has as its theme “The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience” and proposes an interdisciplinary approach combining science, culture, and spirituality. Unlike festivals or recreational gatherings, Fuertedélica is presented as a scientific and cultural forum, with panel discussions, research presentations, and integration activities aimed at fostering an informed dialogue on the responsible use of these substances.
The program is structured in three symbolic phases—preparation, experience, and integration—which reflect the importance of context in psychological transformation processes. The event also seeks to strengthen networks between researchers and clinicians, opening a space for dialogue between modern science and traditional knowledge.
A paradigm shift
Emerging evidence suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapies could represent a paradigm shift in the treatment of mental disorders. Rather than chronically suppressing symptoms, they aim to restore brain and emotional patterns through intense introspective experiences accompanied by trained professionals.
Although risks exist—especially in unregulated contexts or without therapeutic support—clinical results and international legislative developments suggest that the debate will cease to be marginal in the coming years. Countries such as Australia, Switzerland, and Canada already allow the medical use of psilocybin and MDMA under experimental protocols, while in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is evaluating their formal approval. In Spain, interest is now shifting to scientific conferences and forums, where the ethical and health conditions for these therapies to be integrated into the public healthcare system in the future are being discussed.
The Canary Islands: from mental health collapse to possible solutions
It is symbolic that the Canary Islands, with their record numbers of mental health leave, are the venue for Fuertedélica 2025. The archipelago not only represents one of the regions hardest hit by contemporary emotional distress, but also an ideal space to test new ways of addressing psychological suffering at its root.
At a time when traditional pharmacological treatments are showing clear limitations and psychotherapy faces structural shortcomings, psychedelics are emerging as a potential tool for transformation. They are not a panacea, but they are a reminder that mental well-being is not limited to the chemistry of symptom blocking, but can be found in experience, connection, and comprehensive support.
Fuertedélica does not promise miracle cures, but it does promise a change in conversation. In a country where mental health has become the barometer of social unrest, that conversation—open, rigorous, and compassionate—could be the first step toward a genuine therapeutic revolution.
Exclusive offer for Canary Islands residents
In a gesture of support for the local community, the organization has announced an exclusive offer for Canary Islands residents: a two-day pass for only €40, compared to the general price of €60.
To access the discount, simply go to the event box office on November 7 and 8 and present your ID or certificate of residence in the islands. The measure seeks to facilitate the participation of professionals, students, and the general public interested in the emerging field of psychedelic mental health.
Buy your ticket before they sell out!
PhD in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid. Director of Enteogenia magazine. Author, editor, and translator of numerous books on psychoactive substances. He has worked with Energy Control and Kosmicare, and has contributed to magazines such as Interzona, Cáñamo, Ulises, Infocannabis, and Cannabis Magazine. President of Alter Consciens, CEO of Dragon Fungi, and Communications Coordinator at ICEERS.