The Eibar City Council has launched the Municipal Observatory of Emotional Well-being, a novel resource designed to rigorously and continuously understand the emotional state of the local population. The objective is to reinforce a care model based on prevention and early detection, enabling the council to anticipate vulnerability situations and align its public policies with the genuine needs of its citizens.
This project, developed through a contract with Nexi Health SL, aims to engage approximately 30% of Eibar's residents, creating a broad and periodic snapshot of the municipality's emotional well-being. The information gathered will allow for the analysis of variables such as age, gender, origin, or residential area, to identify potential needs and plan preventive actions.
The initiative stems from the conclusions of various municipal diagnoses conducted in recent years, including the Social Diagnosis of Eibar, a study on unwanted loneliness, and the diagnosis prepared within the framework of the I Plan for Children and Adolescence. These works have highlighted the existence of emotional distress that is often not visible and, at times, does not reach public services until it has become severe.
Jon Iraola, the mayor of Eibar, emphasized that the project signifies progress towards a new approach to care policies. "Mental health and emotional well-being are among the major social challenges of our time. Many situations of distress remain hidden and do not always reach public services until they become serious problems. With this observatory, we aim to better understand our citizens' reality and act sooner."
Iraola also underscored the importance of reliable information for directing municipal resources. "We cannot design effective policies if we do not know the real situation of our neighbors. We want Eibar to be a city that listens and makes decisions based on evidence. This tool will help us anticipate needs and place care at the center of municipal action," he stated.
Sonia Archeli, the Councilor for Social Services, explained that the Observatory is precisely a response to the needs identified in the council's various diagnostic studies. "There is emotional suffering that is not always seen and people who do not seek help. We want to reach out to these realities to intervene earlier and more effectively. This observatory will allow us to make decisions based on evidence, not just perceptions."
The tool will pay special attention to children and adolescents, one of the groups that most concerns the Council. "Difficulties related to anxiety, self-esteem, social pressure, or uncertainty are increasingly impacting young people. Better understanding how they feel will enable us to design more tailored and effective actions to promote their well-being," Archeli explained.
Information collection will be conducted through an omnichannel system. Citizens can participate via digital channels and phone calls. For this purpose, Bruna, a conversational agent specializing in emotional well-being, will be available to facilitate participation and reach individuals less familiar with digital tools. Specifically, tailored attention is planned for individuals over 50 years old through the telephone channel.
The City Council assures that conversations will be private and confidential. Furthermore, participants will gain access to a platform offering recommendations, advice, and resources for promoting health and emotional well-being.
The Council urges citizens to participate in the Observatory. "The more people participate, the more accurate the picture we obtain of Eibar's emotional well-being will be, and the better we can direct public resources towards the population's real needs," Archeli noted.
The new Observatory is part of a broader municipal strategy aimed at building a comprehensive care ecosystem, alongside ongoing work in areas such as unwanted loneliness, general care, social diagnosis, and equality.
"We want Eibar to be a city that better cares for its people and can detect difficulties earlier. This observatory will provide us with a tool to better understand our reality and prepare for the responses we will need in the future," concluded the mayor.
