First aid for mental disorders
Approximately thirty people in the UAB community attended a training session with the objective to identify disorders that can appear in classrooms and working places and also to provide tools to give answers to these disorders. The conference is part of the cycle "Tools for Mental Health", organized by Compromís Social UAB.
PIUNE, which is responsible for the advice and support to UAB students with specific needs, together with PAS, PDI and UAB tutors detected the need to have more knowledge and strategies for Mental Heath in the university. As a response to these needs, the project "Compromís Social UAB", promoted by the FAS and PIUNE, has organized the cycle "Tools for Mental Health".
On 26 November the "First aid for mental disorders" session was held and attended by approximately thirty people, and it was offered by Anna Escayola Maranges, Welfare Manager of Parc Taulí's Sanitary Corporation.
The session, on one hand, allowed a closer look to the mental disorders that can appear in classrooms and working places of the university and also gave information about the early detection of signs of mental disorders. Anna Escayola spoke of the symptomatology of ADHD, Asperger syndrome, eating disorders, depression, psychotic disorders and personality disorders with the objective to find out how to detect them.
On the other hand, it offered tools to give an adequate response to the disorder once it has been identified. It highlighted the importance of respect and empathy towards the suffering of those who have a disorder, the comprehension of the fear of admitting to having a disorder because of the possibility to be discriminated and the need to normalize mental health in order to make its approach easier.
It was a theoretical and practical conference in which the attendants shared their doubts, concerns and questions. There were also proposals to adapt curricula, create a comprehensive program to normalize the situation and elaborate a UAB Mental Health Plan. In general, the attendants pointed out the need to have more information and tools to give an adequate response to mental disorders.