Meeting between Luis Joaquín García, Professor of Psychology at the University of Jaén, and David Artime, General Director of Educational Planning, Evaluation and Equity of the Department of Education of the Principality of Asturias.
14/12/2022.- Luis Joaquín García, principal responsable de la iniciativa PROCARE y la Red PROEM y catedrático de la Universidad de Jaén (UJA), ha presentado los resultados de esta iniciativa de promoción de la salud y bienestar emocional en jóvenes, en una reunión mantenida de forma telemática con David Artime, Director General de Ordenación, Evaluación y Equidad Educativa de la Consejería de Educación del Principado de Asturias.
En su intervención, Luis Joaquín García detalló la ayuda gratuita que se presta a cerca de 1.500 escolares en riesgo de sufrir problemas emocionales y a sus familias. De este modo, a través de la puesta en marcha del PROCARE, se ha contribuido de forma significativa a la promoción de la salud mental y el bienestar emocional de los jóvenes de entre 12 y 18 años de todo el país.
Luis Joaquín García pointed out “that PROCARE is the first transdiagnostic group prevention initiative at the international level that has demonstrated its effectiveness in the intervention of adolescents at risk of developing emotional problems such as anxiety or depression, under the framework of selective prevention (PROCARE+) and at high risk under the framework of indicated prevention (PROCARE-I)”.
In addition, PROCARE+ includes personalized sessions to influence risk factors such as suffering or having suffered bullying or cyberbullying, insufficient filio-parental communication, having suffered discrimination (for example, due to belonging to a sexual, linguistic, religious and/or ethnic minority) and stressful situations, or poor health habits (poor nutrition, low physical activity, inadequate sleep patterns and excessive use of new technologies), attending to the individual characteristics of each adolescent and social minorities.
Luis Joaquín García UJA emphasized “the relevance of the interest of legislative institutions in the prevention and promotion of emotional wellbeing in adolescents”. He also pointed out that “there is no health without mental health, and there is no future without emotionally healthy and resilient adolescents”.
For his part, David Artime expressed “the commitment of the Regional Ministry of Education of the Principality of Asturias to study and explore ways of collaboration that allow the implementation of PROCARE in our territory within the selective or indicated prevention during this academic year”. In this regard, he stressed “the commitment of the Ministry of Education for literacy in health and emotional well-being of young Asturians, and the provision of resources for early detection and intervention of emotional problems in adolescents to educational staff and the school community”.
The PROCARE initiative is a nationwide project made up of 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).
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 State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans, Intersex and more (FELGTBI+) and the Youth Council of Spain (CJE) make up the External Advisory Board of this project.
