There is no health without mental health. With this finding in mind, a group of six universities from São Paulo will hold the “Mental Health Workshop at Public Universities of the State of São Paulo” on December 7th. The event, which will take place in the amphitheater of the Institute of Otorhinolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery (IOU) at Unicamp, aims to bring together health professionals from the University of São Paulo (USP), Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Paulo State University (Unesp) and Campinas State University (Unicamp) to share experiences and find creative solutions that help promote mental health among the community of these institutions.
Organized by the General Coordination of Unicamp (CGU), the event will provide 120 in-person places and broadcast the tables and conferences on YouTube. The program includes conferences and tables on mental health, well-being and suffering at the university, as well as the holding of three simultaneous working groups, which will discuss topics such as well-being and mental health of students, teachers and staff. At the end, rapporteurs will present a survey of critical points discussed by the participants in order to support the preparation of a letter of intent.
According to the general coordinator of Unicamp, Maria Luiza Moretti, the intention is to deliver this letter to the governor of the State of São Paulo and the future Minister of Health so that they are aware of what is being carried out by these universities and so that the document serve as an inspiration to other institutions around the country. “I believe it will be of great relevance to have a rich document like this signed by six renowned universities and I think it cannot just remain between us. We have a lot to add and I think this is an example for other universities and schools outside the State”, she highlights.
To enable the sharing of their experiences, each participating university carried out a survey of the main initiatives and the main challenges faced in the promotion, prevention, treatment and assistance in terms of mental health, using a diagnostic instrument formulated and distributed by Unicamp. Although they have very different characteristics, these institutions are seeking, within their specificities, to create ways of acting on the issue, respecting each one's individuality.
According to professor Eloisa Celeri, head of the Department of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp, there was a huge increase in the demand for issues linked to the area of mental health at universities, something that intensified during the covid-19 pandemic. Added to this, there is a limitation of funds and qualified professionals to meet these demands, which creates an enormous challenge for institutions. “Therefore, it is very important to think about prevention policies rather than intervention, but without forgetting that we also have to treat those who are already sick”, she argues.
To hold the seminar, four preparatory meetings were necessary with representatives from the six participating universities. CGU advisor Patrícia Leme comments that these meetings have already represented a great gain in experience. However, the expectation is that the integration between São Paulo institutions will also result in the formation of a mental health observatory. “As it will be a shared initiative between universities, the objective is for it to involve teaching, research and extension, but this is a proposal that will officially emerge during the seminar”, she explains.
Registration for the event depends on the availability of places and can be done using the form:
Agenda
8h30 - Welcome Coffee
9am to 9:30am – Opening of the event
9:30 am to 10:15 am – Conference: “Mental Health at the University, Mental Health at the University”. Speaker: José Manoel Bertolote – Unesp
10:15 am to 12:XNUMX pm – Panel: “Well-Being and Suffering in Universities”. Speakers: Rosana Onocko – Unicamp; Miriam Debieux – USP; Prof. Dr. Maria de Jesus – UFSCar
12 pm to 13:30 pm - Lunch
13:30 pm to 15:30 pm – Three simultaneous work groups: students, teachers and staff
15:30 pm to 15:45 pm – Coffee break
15:45 pm to 17 pm – Presentation by the three rapporteurs with the survey of points for the preparation of a letter of intent
17h - Closing
Read more:
Universities in São Paulo articulate a network to improve mental health policies
