Mental Health Literacy Workshops involve more than 900 Católica students
Within the scope of UCP2 Mental Health – Integrated System of Mental Health and Well-being Activities and Services at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa – and as part of the Programme for the Promotion of Mental Health in Higher Education (funded by the Directorate-General for Higher Education), the 1st Edition of the Series of Workshops on Mental Health Literacy and Psychological First Aid took place throughout the second semester of the current academic year.
This initiative is part of one of the three main pillars of UCP2 Mental Health: promoting student well-being and preventing mental health issues.
An Initiative for All Católica Students
Targeted at all Católica students, the Series of Workshops was delivered in person in Braga, Lisbon, Porto and Viseu - to increase knowledge about mental health issues and problems, selfcare strategies, and psychological first aid, while encouraging early identification of warning signs and timely help-seeking.
4 Workshops with Practical Tools to Care for Mental Health
Four Workshops were held, totalling six distinct and independent sessions, addressing the mental health challenges currently most prevalent among higher education students, such as anxiety, depression, and stress.
• Workshop 1 – Upload Your Mental Health
• Workshop 2 – Reset Anxiety
• Workshop 3 – Freeze or Fight? – Psychological First Aid for Panic Attacks
• Workshop 4 – Ghost the Blue Mondays (Depression)
An active and practical methodology was adopted, providing an immersive experience that facilitated learning. The strong participation of students in the various proposed activities stood out, fostering both individual and collective reflection.
Catarina Matias, a student at Católica who took part in this Series of Workshops, emphasises the importance of “taking part in such a significant project, deeply aligned with the needs and challenges that young people face today in terms of mental health. The relevance of the topic, combined with the sensitivity and dedication with which it was approached, made this experience not only rewarding, but truly transformative.”
Strong Participation from Católica Students
The balance of the 1st Edition was very positive, with active participation from 920 students from the three campuses and the Headquarters, distributed as follows:
• Braga: 210 students
• Lisbon: 328 students
• Porto: 329 students
• Viseu: 53 students
At the end of the sessions, students highlighted the following as the most relevant aspects:
• The dynamism of the Workshops
• Practical and applicable strategies
• Roleplays and exercises for personal and group reflection
• The relevance of the topics covered
Based on her experience as a participant in the Workshops, student Isabel Pereira emphasises that: “they are undoubtedly fundamental for us students… They gave us a voice! They made us feel cosy and provided us, in a dynamic and active way, with a valuable set of useful tools for recognising, caring for and helping our (and everyone else's) mental health!”
The UCP2 Mental Health Team, which organised and promoted this 1st Series of Workshops for students, considers this experience to be extremely rewarding, enriching and a promoter of change. It also emphasises the “active role and genuine interest of the students in building their wellbeing by sharing knowledge, experiences and practical strategies for looking after themselves and others”. Listening to and addressing the needs and concerns of our students is fundamental to building a more resilient, empathetic and mental health-conscious academic community!
Upcoming Editions Already in Preparation
Considering the project's commitment, the importance and the success of this initiative, new Series of Workshops on Mental Health Literacy and Psychological First Aid - UCP2 Mental Health - will be launched in the next academic year.