The professor of the University of Jaén and main responsible of the PROCARE initiative, Luis Joaquín García, presented the results of the intervention to representatives of the Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Esport de la Generalitat Valenciana.
26/11/2021.- The PROCARE initiative, which provides free help to schoolchildren at risk of suffering emotional problems, has had a beneficial impact on 21 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old, and their families, through the intervention carried out in the Valencian Community.
This is shown by the data of the action carried out by experts of the PROCARE initiative led by the University of Jaén (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, Luis Joaquín García, shared the results of the PROCARE initiative carried out in the provinces of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón with representatives of the Conselleria d’ Educació, Cultura i Esport de la Generalitat Valenciana. The meeting, held telematically, was attended by the General Director of Educational Inclusion, Raquel Andrés Gimeno and the Deputy Director of Coordination and Standardization of Processes in Education, Jeremias Moragues.
During the meeting, Luis Joaquín García explained “the importance of the work carried out by PROCARE’s team of professionals, which has allowed a good number of Valencian adolescents and their families to benefit from this emotional vaccine, which strengthens young people emotionally in times of crisis and change”.
For their part, from the Conselleria d’ Educació, Cultura i Esport, expressed their agreement on “the relevance of working on early detection and intervention based on evidence to identify young people with or at risk of suffering emotional problems and address suicide prevention”. In turn, they showed their willingness to evaluate, from the Department of Coordination and Standardization of Processes in Education, the implementation of the PROCARE project in all schools in the community, with the aim of collaborating with the schools themselves and parents in promoting mental health and emotional well-being of Valencian adolescents.
Luis Joaquín García, Raquel Andrés Gimeno and Jeremias Moragues addressed the problem of youth suicide and its prevention protocol, highlighting “the role of emotional problems as the main contributors, so it is crucial to detect the signs that a young person may be having a bad time emotionally to prevent and reduce the likelihood of suicidal behavior”.
Finally, Luis Joaquín García presented his work as an integral part of the advisory board of the Youth Strategy 2021 – 2030 led by the Youth Institute (INJUVE). It highlights the need to strengthen early detection and evidence-based intervention to help young Spaniards with (or at risk of presenting) emotional problems, in order to strengthen their mental health and reduce medicalization, in line with the Spain 2050 Agenda.
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 FELGTBi 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.
