Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) is taking a significant step towards promoting the well-being and mental health of its students with the launch of UCP2 Mental Health. This initiative, which covers the headquarters and the three regional centres of the UCP - Lisbon, Viseu, Porto and Braga - aims to create an integrated mental health promotion system, through which there will be new mental health promotion resources for students and where existing services will be articulated and enhanced.

“UCP2 Mental Health is the embryo of what will be the Universidade Católica’s integrated mental health promotion system, and it should be stabilised within two years, in 2026”, says Luísa Campos, faculty member of Faculty of Education and Psychology (FEP-UCP) and coordinator of this pioneering project at the UCP, whose team includes psychologists, faculty members and researchers in the field of psychology from the different regional centres and the UCP headquarters.

This system aims to respond to the mental health needs of students at the university's four campuses, ranging from mental health promotion to early detection and intervention in so-called “common mental disorders” such as depression and anxiety.

Students will be able to access a digital platform that will act as a “single gateway” to all mental health responses at UCP.  The platform, inspired by international projects such as Australia's BeyondBlue, will offer mental health resources and information to students, as well as psychological screening, assessment and intervention. This integrated system also provides for the referral of students with moderate or severe mental disorders to specialised health services, as established in the guidelines of the mental health promotion programme launched by DGES.

Luísa Campos emphasises: “We are starting to consolidate agreements and protocols with the SNS and public and private health institutions for the referral of students with mental disorders who need very specific responses and who, in essence, fall outside the scope of psychological intervention in the context of higher education.”

“Building the system will not be possible without the participation of students and mental health professionals who already carry out psychological intervention in various departments/faculties at UCP”, she says. 

The team will have two panels of consultants - students and psychologists - who will be invited to monitor the entire construction of the system. UCP2 Mental Health also includes monitoring and evaluating the system.

An ambitious challenge and a great opportunity

The implementation of UCP2 Mental Health represents an ambitious challenge, but also a great opportunity for UCP. For Catarina Ribeiro, faculty member of FEP-UCP and a member of the project team, “this system is extremely pertinent and is an excellent opportunity for the University to continue prioritising the comprehensive training of students and their adaptive and successful development”. 

Sandra Sousa, a member of the team in Lisbon, emphasises the importance of creating this system so that there is an integrated and unique response from the university to the mental health problems of the academic community: “The articulation between all the campuses will allow for networking and a global response from the UCP to mental health issues, promoting positive mental health through various initiatives, in a culture that is intended to promote health.”

Célia Ribeiro, from the Viseu Regional Centre, says that the UCP's integrated mental health system aims to promote an environment of well-being.

Increasing mental health responses at Universidade Católica

Débora Passos, a junior psychologist at the Portuguese Psychologists' Association and a member of the team, says that UCP2 Mental Health will make it possible to reorganise the services that already exist at UCP, ensuring consistency and communication between them. In addition, “it will be possible to meet the needs of students with greater complementarity”, she says.

In order to respond to this complex system, with several fronts of action, several sub-teams have been created, as Ana Rita Pontes points out. The psychologist explains that there will be a team responsible for promoting and preventing mental health problems and developing competences, and another for screening, assessment, psychological intervention and referrals. There will also be a team dedicated to monitoring and evaluating the system and another for coordination.

The importance of promotion and prevention

The promotion and prevention aspects are crucial to the integrated mental health promotion system that the University is building. Luísa Campos believes that this system will enable the University to create much-needed responses in terms of promoting and preventing mental health problems.

Cátia Branquinho, a member of the Lisbon team, shared that these two aspects “are fundamental to creating a stronger and more resilient university community. By promoting mental health, we make it easier for students to understand their challenges and identify warning signs, both in themselves and in their peer group. This means they can act sooner, before problems get worse.”

With the launch of UCP2 Mental Health, UCP is reaffirming its commitment to the well-being of its students, in line with the objectives of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) regarding the promotion of mental health in this context.

UCP2 Mental Health is funded under the DGES Programme for the Promotion of Mental Health in Higher Education.

The system's kick-off meeting took place on 16 September 2024, marking the beginning of a new era in mental health promotion at Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

This episode was full of questions posed by listeners who follow this Podcast, in terms of preventing problems associated with mental health, and answered by our guest.

Among the topics covered, António Sampaio pointed out that our culture is very much geared towards the demand for productivity, and that it is necessary for everyone to focus on and take care of their well-being and mental health, particularly through good sleep management, physical exercise, diet and leisure, among others.

We also talked about how to support those around us when they are going through difficult times by sharing and being willing to listen, as well as study techniques for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Burnout, competitiveness and pressure in academia, complementarity between psychology and psychiatry and combining time between university, friends and family were discussed.

In conclusion, António Sampaio left us with an important piece of advice: we must invest in self-knowledge, an essential part of our well-being and mental health.

Listen to this episode in full and the rest of this first season, and find out more about other important mental health issues here.

MindCast is a podcast about mental health that was created as a result of a partnership between the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics. This first season is over, but news on the subject will be announced soon.

Rita Paiva e Pona, Advisor to the Rectorate for Social Responsibility and Coordinator of the Social Responsibility Office, comments that this first season has been very rich in terms of the diversity of themes and, above all, reveals the importance that mental health has for the students of the Universidade Católica, since they were the protagonists of this project. "We would like to thank the entire team of teachers and staff at the University who ensure this close monitoring and promote well-being on campus."

We would like to remind you that the Universidade Católica Portuguesa offers mental health consultations for the entire academic community, through an outreach service. You can find out more here.

Gabinete de Responsabilidade Social e Clube de Marketing CATÓLICA-LISBON

In the 4th episode of MindCast, launched on 13 June, guest Bárbara Nazaré, a professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences (FCH) at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), discussed the importance of self-esteem for academic success.  

Bárbara Nazaré, a clinical and health psychologist and collaborator with the UCP Mental Health Service, spoke to host Sofia Torneiro, a student at the FCH, and began by explaining that there are various factors that influence self-esteem and that they start very early in life: genetic influences, aspects related to life experiences as a child, but also current experiences as an adult. 

The professor emphasises that there is a clear relationship between self-esteem and academic success, proven by science. She also emphasises that people with high self-esteem tend to have a more positive view of themselves, show greater persistence in the face of adversity and cope more healthily with failure. 

Bárbara Nazaré emphasises that professors and family members can help students improve their self-esteem, and makes three important suggestions. Firstly, she encourages the definition of individual academic growth, evolution and progression objectives, since comparing oneself with others is not beneficial. Secondly, he emphasised the importance of conveying that academic evaluations measure performance at that specific moment and not the intrinsic value of the person. Finally, he suggests helping students to focus on the benefits of failures, seeing them as learning opportunities for the future. 

To end the episode, Bárbara Nazaré leaves two final pieces of advice. The first is to practice self-compassion, to realise that a mistake doesn't diminish a person's value and that criticism at that moment only makes the situation worse. The second piece of advice is to reflect on the intrinsic value of each person, remembering that everyone has value, despite not always being aware of it. 

The next episode of MindCast will be released on 27 June and will cover the importance of different types of relationships in a student's journey, with Susana Costa Ramalho, also a lecturer at the FCH.  

Find out more about the mental health consultations for the entire academic community here, and listen to the rest of this season's episodes here. 

MindCast, a podcast about mental health, is the result of a partnership between the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics. 

In this 3rd episode of MindCast, Cátia Branquinho, professor at Universidade Católica (UCP), talks to student Sofia Torneiro about the upcoming exam season.

Cátia Branquinho, a Clinical and Health Psychologist and professor at UCP's Faculty of Human Sciences, emphasises that the exam period is undoubtedly a challenging and stressful time. She stresses that organising time is crucial, as it allows you to maximise your study time by implementing an effective study plan, helping you to retain information and concentration and avoiding procrastination.

For the professor, these are skills that develop and improve with practice.

With regard to organising time effectively in this exam phase, the main strategies highlighted in this episode are maintaining good sleep patterns - sleeping the recommended number of hours, maintaining regularity, and eating an adequate and healthy diet, ensuring hydration throughout the day, but also taking care of mental health and well-being, through self-care routines - having time for yourself, doing pleasurable activities, connecting with others (family and friends), doing physical exercise.

Creating a study plan and sticking to it, using diaries/calendars/task lists, setting smart goals and prioritising tasks are equally important. But in this episode, it is also recommended to take breaks that suit each individual and use study techniques that are adapted to each individual, such as notes, flash cards, apps, study groups with colleagues, among others.

It is also important to avoid sources of distraction, to use apps as positive reinforcement, increasing motivation, and of course, to celebrate individual achievements.

Finally, it is stressed that students should be alert to signs of stress (fatigue, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, among others) and seek specialised support if necessary. Stress can be positive, increasing attention, focus, motivation and performance, if it does not occur excessively.

The 4th episode of this season will be released on 13 June, with the theme ‘The importance of self-esteem for academic success’.

Listen to all the episodes from the first season here, and learn more about mental health consultations for the entire academic community here.

MindCast, a podcast about mental health, was launched in May and was born out of a partnership between the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics.

On World Mental Health Day, marked on 10 October, Universidade Católica launches the second season of MindCast with a new episode featuring Miguel Telo de Arriaga, Clinical and Health Psychologist and Public Health Specialist, and professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences.

In this episode dedicated to the importance of raising awareness in the community about mental disorders and the impact they have on all ages, Miguel Telo de Arriaga emphasised how these anniversaries are fundamental for reminding people of the importance of mental health and opening up space for important discussions, both on a personal level and in the media and public policy.

Among the topics discussed, four main ideas stand out:

• Myths and stigmas: there is still great resistance to talking about mental health, which is associated with vulnerability.
• Normalisation of symptoms: emotional reactions in times of crisis should be normalised, to help reduce anxiety and make people understand that they are not alone in their challenges.
• Acceptance: work needs to be done on accepting vulnerability, both on a personal level and on the part of society.
• Prevention and promotion of mental health: there needs to be a greater focus on prevention and the involvement of the whole community, as well as effective public policies.

The episode also addresses the importance of maintaining healthy routines and physical activity as a way of promoting psychological well-being, and explores the essential role of education and health literacy in preventing future mental health problems.

With a season that promises interesting and informative dialogues on mental health, Mindcast will soon have new episodes available on Spotify.

A partnership between the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club of Católica Lisbon.

The Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) highlighted World Mental Health Day on 10 October with an awareness-raising initiative aimed at the academic community at its headquarters in Lisbon. In addition to distributing information leaflets, during this event students, professors and staff were approached directly with the aim of identifying warning signs.

Under the theme "Mental Health is a Universal Right", the action was organised by the Mental Health Service (SSM), under the coordination of the Social Responsibility Office (GRS), in collaboration with the Faculty of Human Sciences and Católica Medical School. It also involved the active participation of students from the undergraduate degree in Psychology and master’s degree in Well-Being Psychology and Health Promotion.

The Mental Health Service provided by the University was promoted. It represents a commitment to the health and well-being of students, teachers, researchers and staff at the University, providing mental health consultations with specialists in the fields of psychiatry and psychology.

For the 2023/2024 academic year, and with the aim of allowing access to all, UCP has revised the prices, keeping the first appointment for free and the other appointments at the users' expense with a significant reduction in cost, now set at €15.

According to Rita Paiva e Pona, Advisor to the Rector's Office for Social Responsibility and Coordinator of the Social Responsibility Office, “UCP recognizes the importance of mental health in the university context and has been working with the Católica Medical School and the Faculty of Human Sciences to promote the emotional well-being of its academic community”

In this sense, Rita Paiva e Pona reinforces: “by providing a proximity service for its students and employees, through a team specialized in the areas of Psychiatry and Psychology respectively, we believe we are contributing to creating a healthy and inclusive environment."

Book an appointment

More information: 21 721 40 37 | grs.sede@ucp.pt

Highlights of the awareness-raising action for the academic community

Highlights of the awareness-raising action for the academic community

Highlights of the awareness-raising action for the academic community

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The stigma associated with mental health is still one of the biggest mental health challenges, as emphasised by Miguel Telo de Arriaga, a professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences, on MindCast, Católica's mental health podcast. To tackle this problem, students, professors and staff at Universidade Católica Portuguesa joined in various awareness-raising initiatives on 10 October.

At Católica's headquarters in Lisbon, Mental Health Day was marked with an awareness campaign aimed at the academic community, coordinated by the Social Responsibility Office. In collaboration with the Mental Health Service Team, this action included the Marketing Club, the Law Academic Association, the Psychology Student Centre and a few Psychology students.

At the same time, at the Porto Regional Centre, the highlight was the promotion of the services available at the Students and Employability Office, as well as the launch of the Psychologist Voucher measure. The Viseu Campus also took the opportunity to raise awareness among students about the Cheque-Psychologist Programme, highlighting the importance of this new support measure for mental health and well-being. The Braga Regional Centre also publicised this important date.

Among the measures announced is the ‘Psychologist and Nutritionist Voucher’, a new measure from the Ministry of Youth and Modernisation and the Ministry of Education. Designed to facilitate access to these services for students at Portuguese higher education institutions, the voucher aims to promote mental health and well-being, development and adaptation in situations with a potential impact on academic life.

This initiative, which complements existing services at the University, such as mental health appointments, contributes to a more effective and productive learning environment, where students can concentrate on their academic activities without the burden of emotional stress.

Rita Paiva e Pona, the Rectors' Advisor for Social Responsibility, emphasises that “UCP's mental health consultations are intended to be, above all, a space of proximity and care, responding in a welcoming way to issues related to emotional challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, among others”.

Created by the World Federation for Mental Health, World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness and mobilise efforts to support mental health.

"In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #3 was set to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages by 2030. However, the latest WHO Mental Health Report (2022) indicates that one billion people (more than 1 in 8 adults and adolescents) worldwide still suffer from a mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety.

Moreover, the 2024 SDG Report highlighted the global progress is “alarmingly insufficient”, falling significantly short of the targets set. Specifically, concerning mental health, a reduction by a third of the mortality rate from intentional self-harm/suicide is expected by 2030 (SDG 3.4.2. indicator). How can this be achieved?

It is essential to assume an integrated, developmental, and systemic approach. In this context, Universities play a paramount role in SDG3, through Teaching (e.g., psychologists’ training), Research (e.g., identification of predictors of mental health), and University Social Responsibility activities (e.g., services in the community).

At Universidade Católica Portuguesa we have worked to enhance mental health and psychological well-being of the community, through the University Psychology Clinic, a service provided by the Faculty of Education and Psychology, since 2007.

In addition to a psychotherapeutic framework, an early approach to promoting mental health and preventing mental disorders is crucial. Thus, at our university, we have designed and implemented numerous initiatives, such as the recently launched CP2 Saúde Mental project, which aims to create an integrated system for promoting mental health.

We have also developed initiatives aimed at promoting mental health skills in children and parents. For instance, the project “Sou Capaz”, aims to develop skills such as self-awareness, self-control, social awareness, relation skills and responsible decision-making in children. The programme “Aprender a Educar” develops positive parenting practices in order to promote mental health.

By implementing supportive policies, providing psychological services, creating and fostering awareness for students and for community, Universities play a crucial role in achieving SDG#3."

Lurdes Veríssimo
Coordinator of University Psychology Clinic (CUP)
Professor at Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Watch Sofia Torneiro's testimony about the experience and impact of Mindcast:
 

University Psychology Clinic

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A new episode of Mindcast, Universidade Católica Portuguesa's podcast focussing on the psychological well-being of students, is now available. This edition's guest is Rita Francisco, professor and researcher at the Faculty of Human Sciences.

The conversation centres on the importance of self-care in the academic context, addressing the impact of university pressure and demands on mental health, stress management, the balance between study, personal life and social networks, as well as the first steps to take when emotional wellbeing is compromised.

This episode invites reflection and offers practical guidelines to promote a more balanced and healthy academic experience. It is also an invitation to raise awareness about the importance of looking after mental health, not only in times of crisis, but as an integral part of academic life.

With the aim of raising awareness and offering tools to deal with the challenges that students face, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) is launching MindCast, a podcast dedicated to promoting mental health. The result of a collaboration between the Social Responsibility Office and the Católica Lisbon Marketing Club, Mindcast debuts today, 2 May, on the Spotify and Anchor platforms.

Aiming to raise awareness and offer tools to deal with the challenges that students face, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) is launching MindCast, a podcast dedicated to promoting mental health. The result of a collaboration between the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club for students at UCP's headquarters, Mindcast debuts today, 2 May, on the Spotify and Anchor platforms.

To help university students lead a mentally healthy academic life, the podcast will share the knowledge of psychologists and other experts in the field. Inês Camacho, a specialist in the field of clinical and educational psychology, is the guest on the first episode, moderated by Sofia Torneiro, a psychology student at the Faculty of Human Sciences at UCP.

To launch this project, the professor from the same faculty discusses the mental health of young people in higher education institutions and the main problems they face. In the episode, the expert also points out some warning signs to look out for and discusses the relationship between university culture and its impact on mental health. The aim is to clarify how different university environments influence students' psychological well-being.

The aim of this podcast is to help disseminate specialised knowledge and practical advice on mental health to the entire academic community. As such, Mindcast invites all students, teachers, researchers and collaborators to join this journey to promote and protect mental health at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, with the next episodes to be released on 16 and 30 May and 13 and 27 June.

Alongside this initiative, the UCP has been offering mental health appointments to the entire academic community, an outreach service that accompanies situations related to emotional problems, in Lisbon, since October 2022.

Join us for this important conversation about mental health

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The 2nd episode of MindCast, entitled "Depression and Anxiety among young people: warning signs and how to seek help", was released on May 16th.

This episode's special guest is Frederico Simões do Couto, a specialist in the field of psychiatry and lecturer at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. In this conversation between Frederico Simões do Couto and host Sofia Torneiro, we highlight five pieces of advice, which you can listen to on Spotify and Anchor.

First, he stressed that sadness and anxiety are normal experiences and are part of life. However, he noted that it is essential to be aware when these feelings begin to interfere with the ability to live in an adaptive and functional way. Promoting self-knowledge was the second key point, since understanding our own emotions helps us to deal effectively with the factors that can trigger sadness and anxiety.

The third point addressed is the growing tendency among younger generations to seek psychological help with less fear, indicating a positive change in perceptions about mental health. Frederico Simões do Couto also emphasized the importance of promoting well-being on a daily basis and throughout the week, setting aside time for self-care practices that make us feel good. Last but not least, he concluded that mental health should be a priority for everyone and that no one is alone on this journey. Asking for help is fundamental to continuing to take care of ourselves and those around us, she warned.

Launched on May 2nd, MindCast is an initiative of the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics. This project actively involved students in identifying and preparing relevant topics for the university community.

The Universidade Católica Portuguesa offers consultations to the entire academic community, through an outreach service.

MindCast continues its mission to promote and protect mental health. You can listen to all the episodes here. On May 30, episode number 3 will be available, with the theme "Organizing time and managing stress during exams".

In the 5th episode of MindCast, Susana Costa Ramalho, Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer at the Faculty of Human Sciences (FCH) and Coordinator of the Family Sciences Institute, discusses the importance of family, friendship and love relationships.

Susana Costa Ramalho emphasises that human and interpersonal relationships play a central role in the lives of all of us, contributing significantly to happiness, well-being and mental health. As social beings, we have an intrinsic need to relate, and the quality of these relationships is essential for personal development, thus inevitably influencing students' careers. 

The episode also addresses the crucial role of families and their rituals, which are essential for providing moments of cohesion, sharing and intimacy in the family, as well as fostering a sense of belonging to the group, provided they are carried out in a healthy and flexible way. 

They also highlight some warning signs to watch out for, as they can have a negative influence on relationships. These include manipulation and control, increased isolation on the part of one person, a lack of empathy and transparency, fickle behaviour within the relationship and a lack of reciprocity, among others mentioned in this episode. 

The pertinence of the university's role is also the subject of this conversation. The institution plays a vital role in providing spaces for meeting and sharing, promoting a culture of zero tolerance for unhealthy relationships and giving a voice to important issues, creating a culture of proximity and availability to others. 

Susana Costa Ramalho concludes the episode with an inspiring reflection, based on a Charlie Brown cartoon: "Taking care of each other is the most beautiful and important thing we can do." 

The next and final episode of this first season will be available on 11 July and will feature questions and answers from listeners. 

Find out more about the mental health consultations for the entire academic community here and listen to the remaining episodes of this season here. 

MindCast, a podcast about mental health, is the result of a partnership between the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics.