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The presidents of the Commission on University Coexistence and Mental Health, Rosa María Olave (UAH) and Bertha Escobar (UCT), presented their work to the Education Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.
For CRUCH, it is crucial to prioritize the promotion and prevention of mental health, as well as to link mental health to university life. They also proposed conducting studies and ensuring funding for universities as stipulated by law.
This Tuesday, May 7, the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) was invited to the Education Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, in the National Congress, to refer to the bill that establishes a protection system for higher education students who require care in their mental health.
Representing CRUCH were Rosa María Olave, Director of the Mediation and Conflict Resolution Program at Alberto Hurtado University (UAH), and Bertha Escobar, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Catholic University of Temuco (UCT), who spoke on behalf of the University Coexistence and Mental Health Commission. They welcomed the initiative to discuss mental health in the higher education system and expressed their gratitude for the invitation. Gloria Herrera, Head of the CRUCH Legal Department, also attended.
Rosa María Olave then explained that CRUCH believes there is a close relationship between mental health and coexistence. “We understand that mental health and university coexistence are two dimensions of university life, which is why a systemic approach is required, recognizing that different groups coexist in universities: students, faculty, and administrative staff.”.
He added that “it is also important to point out that the mental health and coexistence problems that have been occurring in universities and in the Chilean higher education system are a reflection of what is happening in the country.”.
Regarding the observations on the project, one of the main ones relates to the fact that it proposes individual mental health care responses, leaving promotion and prevention in a secondary role. “From CRUCH, we consider fundamental
"It is essential to emphasize promotion and prevention, geared towards the well-being of those who make up the university communities, which means having a cross-cutting approach to mental health and university coexistence," Olave stated.
For her part, Bertha Escobar emphasized that in the project "it is essential to link mental health with university life.".
Other observations
Another issue raised before the Education Committee concerns the fact that the diagnoses included in the project focus on symptoms, risk behaviors, and clinical syndromes. The CRUCH (Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities) believes it is necessary to incorporate diagnoses regarding university life and how its deterioration is also a problem that affects individual and collective well-being.
Furthermore, the bill treats mental health problems indiscriminately with psychological or psychiatric disorders. In this regard, it is noted that focusing solely on treatment risks pathologizing mental health.
Encouraging the certification of mental health problems and psychological or psychiatric disorders through medical and psychiatric certificates (issued only by professionals and specialists legally authorized to do so) could exacerbate existing gaps in access to care within the public system, as well as some unethical practices currently observed. Furthermore, it is crucial to strengthen the intersectoral and interinstitutional network to prevent universities from becoming specialized mental health centers.
From the perspective of CRUCH, it is important to note that students and members of the university community require environments that promote mental health and the development of skills that also allow them to self-manage individual and collective well-being.
Studies and funding
The CRUCH also raised the need for studies on some of the measures proposed in the project, such as recess weeks and modifications to the academic calendar. While several universities have implemented these measures since 2020, there are no measurements of their actual impact on mental health, quality of education, or academic achievement.
Finally, in CRUCH's view, it is crucial to consider the resources needed to implement these measures, as inadequate funding could exacerbate the budgetary pressures that universities face.
Bill
The Education Committee of the Chamber of Deputies began in mid-April the analysis of the project that establishes a protection system for higher education students who require care in their mental health.
This is a motion from Deputy Emilia Schneider (CS), along with Héctor Barría (DC), Ana María Gazmuri (PAH), Marta González (IND), Diego Ibáñez (PCS), Luis Malla (PL), Erika Olivera (DEM), Rubén Darío Oyarzo (IND), Hugo Rey (RN) and Juan Santana (PS).
The project was submitted on November 17, 2023 (Bulletin 16.428-04). See here.
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