Our Program
According to the Country Health Profile, it is estimated that in 2019 mental health problems affected more than 2.25 million people, which corresponds to 22% of the Portuguese population, a number that exceeds the 16.7% of the European Union. Regarding the younger population, the HBSC 2021/22 revealed a significant decline in their mental health and well-being, as well as an increase in rates of unhappiness, self-harm behaviours and psychological symptoms.
Stigma towards mental health continues to be a critical challenge worldwide, representing a barrier to help- seeking and to the well-being of people with mental health problems.
Considering that creative interventions combined with psychoeducation have shown promising in reducing stigma, an arts-based program was developed for adolescents and young people aged between 12 and 24 years old.
The program consists of 12 sessions, which took place over 4 consecutive days and addressed topics related to mental health, through:
- Educational activities;
- Exercises promoting mindfulness and relaxation;
- Theater (e.g., role-play and improvisation);
- Cinema (e.g., video and photography);
- Visual arts (e.g., painting);
- Music.
Currently, the team is dedicated to the scientific dissemination of the program's results through articles, events and social media. The program's toolkit is also under development, as well as artistic productions with some team members and program participants.
Photographs from the program
