Luis Joaquín García, professor at the University of Jaén and head of the PROEM Network, presented the results of the intervention to representatives of the Territorial Delegation of Education in Córdoba.
17/11/2021.- The PROCARE initiative, which provides free help to schoolchildren at risk of suffering emotional problems, has had a beneficial impact through the intervention carried out on adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age in the province of Cordoba.
This is shown by the data of the action carried out by experts of the PROEM Network, led by the University of Jaen (UJA), through the first selective prevention program aimed at young people between 12 and 18 years old at risk of suffering emotional problems in the current stage of psychosocial difficulties marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the results indicate the reduction of emotional problems, the improvement of the subjective quality of life and the regulation of emotions in the young participants, who in turn, have shown their satisfaction and acceptability after the implementation of PROCARE.
The UJA professor and main responsible of the PROEM Network, Luis Joaquin Garcia, shared information about the results of the PROCARE initiative in the province of Cordoba with representatives of the Territorial Delegation of Education in Cordoba. The meeting, held telematically, was attended by the Coordinator of the Provincial Technical Team for Educational and Vocational Guidance of the Territorial Delegation of Education in Cordoba, Inmaculada Nieto; and the Head of Educational Planning Service of the Territorial Delegation of Education in Cordoba, Sara Mª Delgado.
Firstly, Luis Joaquín García thanked the involvement of the team of the Territorial Delegation of Education in Córdoba for its dissemination of this initiative among schools in the province of Córdoba, thanks to which a good number of young people from Córdoba and their families have been able to benefit from PROCARE, an emotional vaccine to strengthen young people in times of crisis and change. Secondly, Luis Joaquín García explained the concrete impact of the PROCARE initiative, which has helped to alleviate emotional problems and regulate the emotions of the students of the schools participating in the study.
For their part, from the Territorial Delegation of Education of Cordoba, they conveyed “the support of literacy in health and emotional well-being and the need to train education professionals in health and emotional well-being, especially suicide prevention, through mental health professionals”. In turn, they showed their willingness to endorse “the importance of selective and indicated prevention in the context of emotional problems in childhood and adolescence”. Finally, it was agreed to strengthen collaboration between their institution and the PROCARE initiative team, to support educational staff and the school community in the early detection and intervention of young people with (or at risk of) emotional problems and in the prevention of youth suicide.
The PROCARE research team includes professionals from the Psychology Department of the UJA, the Rovira i Virgili University, the Miguel Hernández University of Elche and the University of Miami (USA). In addition, the Youth Institute (INJUVE) of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, the Spanish Association of Mutual Help against Social Phobia and Anxiety Disorders (AMTAES), the Confederation of Organizations of Psychopedagogy and Guidance of Spain (COPOE), the Youth group of the FELGTB and the Youth Council of Spain are part of the External Advisory Board of this project that has contributed to the promotion of mental health and emotional well-being of adolescents nationwide in recent months.
