Commission on University Coexistence and Mental Health
In the context of the commemoration of World Mental Health Day, the co-presidents of the CRUCH University Coexistence and Mental Health Commission, Valeska Grau (PUC) and Patricia Astroza (ULS), discuss the progress and challenges in universities.
This October 10th marks International Mental Health Day, and the universities of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) have organized various activities to promote and raise awareness of mental health in their respective communities.
In this context, Valeska Grau, co-president of the CRUCH University Coexistence and Mental Health Commission and student mediator at the Ombuds Office of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC), states that “mental health has gained unprecedented relevance in our society and, fortunately, today the topic is discussed with greater openness and the stigma surrounding it has been decreasing.”.
Similarly, Patricia Astroza, Coordinator of the Student Welfare Department at the University of La Serena and co-chair of the commission, states that “one of the challenges in mental health is to stop addressing the issue in isolation, but rather as a component of the overall well-being and quality of life of the people who make up the university communities. It is important to remember that mental health is not an isolated aspect of individuals, but rather another component of how we live, and therefore, our context matters, the way we relate to each other matters—in other words, university life.”.
Grau points out that “various studies have detected a significant increase in psychological problems among young people, especially university students, so institutions have found themselves in the urgent need to seek effective ways to address these problems, promote emotional well-being and prevent existing difficulties from worsening.”.
In response, “for several years now (the CRUCH universities) have been developing programs, policies and initiatives around the well-being and mental, emotional, affective and, in general, integral health of our student communities,” Astroza adds.
Until now, most universities have focused on the student body, “but I believe we also need to be able to expand the attention, programs, and services we provide to the rest of the community: staff, faculty, and staff. We need to work in spaces of care and in spaces that protect our overall well-being,” says Astroza.
“The idea is to create communities that care for each other and promote individual and collective well-being, but this is a long-term project,” Grau concludes.
World Mental Health Day was established in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), and is celebrated every October 10 to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and eradicate associated stigmas.
This year's theme is "Access to mental health services during disasters and emergencies," which underscores the importance of safeguarding the mental health of both the communities we serve and the colleagues who perform this vital work during times of crisis. Learn more here
Advances and challenges in universities
The CRUCH Commission on University Coexistence and Mental Health, created in 2022, has made significant progress in generating a diagnosis of the diverse realities of the Council's universities, identifying critical issues, and generating recommendations for designing lines of action. See report “University well-being: Keys to coexistence and mental health”.
“I see it as very positive that the CRUCH universities are concerned about this issue and that there are increasingly more policies that promote university life and mental health, and even more so that they aim towards the development of integrated policies that are more cross-cutting and promoted from the educational processes onwards. This is profoundly enriching, as it aligns with generating long-term changes in the promotion of mental health,” states Valeska Grau. It should be noted that on October 8th, the commission held the webinar “Integrated Policies for University Life and Mental Health,” which generated great interest. Watch the webinar. here
To move forward in this direction, she believes it is necessary to “create regulations that ensure mental health is protected throughout the entire educational process, not just by having mental health units, but by integrating the entire university system and its educational offerings with the promotion and prevention of mental health problems. Furthermore, it is important to foster opportunities for student participation to strengthen the community. Education should also promote respect, dialogue, kindness, and self-care, not only for students, but also for professors, staff, administrators, and professionals working at the university, so that everyone is able to promote healthy lifestyles while also identifying and referring mental health problems.”.
In addition to the above, Patricia Astroza believes that “a very important challenge is how to work in a coordinated manner among all the units that provide services and student support, but also with the academic area. Furthermore, there are challenges that are much longer-term, such as coordination with external services.”.
Astroza also refers to the role of CRUCH in the discussion of bills currently being debated in Congress. “I believe we need to have an impact, a voice from the universities on matters such as, for example, the reconciliation of work, student, academic, and family life,” Astroza states.
Activities and initiatives in CRUCH universities
Below you can review the various activities and initiatives that universities have organized within the framework of World Mental Health Day:
- University of Chile
Material on Psychoeducation:
https://concienciasaludable.uchile.cl/psicoeducacion/
Instagram links:
Other activities:
Student Support Network Fair; Substance Use Survey
- Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
"Sowing Good Treatment" Fair, see here
- Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso
Mental Health Month, see calendar here
- University of Concepcion
Commemoration of World Mental Health Day, see here
Seminar: Mental health in university students. With the participation of: Psychologist. Bertha Escobar and Ana Barrera, from the CRUCH University Coexistence and Mental Health Commission, together with the Full Professor of the UdeC, Dr. Félix Cova: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWD3K6kS7v/
Seminar “Humanizing Workspaces”. Psychosocial Support Unit for University Staff: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPWZXuIDfej/
Keynote address: “Building South-North Bridges: Implementation and Innovation in Global Mental Health.” Organized by the Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Mental Health Program, University of Concepción. With the participation of: Dr. Franco Mascayano Tapia, PhD in Epidemiology (Columbia University, USA). https://www.instagram.com/p/DOqohqCkaOV/
- Federico Santa María Technical University
Instagram links:
- University of La Serena
Intervention on all university campuses with stand Informative sessions under the motto "Taking care of yourself is taking care of everyone." The sessions will focus on the five pillars of mental health (Five Ways to Wellbeing). Thursday, October 9th.
Instagram link:
- University of Magallanes
Mental Health Month, see calendar here
- Catholic University of the Holy Conception
Mental Health Month, see calendar here
Instagram link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPRW3D8jfPR/?hl=es-la&img_index=1
- O'Higgins University
Mental Health Week, see calendar of activities here.
- Alberto Hurtado University
World Mental Health Day at UAH:
Instagram links:
- University of the Andes
Wellness Week, see here
Text and image design: CRUCH Communications
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