Mental Health – HelMSIC Greece

Name of the activity: Mental Health

Country/NMO: HelMSIC Greece

Program: Mental Health

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: First-time Activity

Category: Education

Focus area: Mental Health promotion and Prevention, Mental Health among Medical Students

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)

General description:

The Mental Health activity was hosted in 7 cities in Greece. It lasted for 4 hours and educated participants about mental health problems encountered by healthcare professionals and how to deal with them. It included presentations from psychiatrists and experts, as well as an interactive Open Space Discussion in which participants had the chance to talk directly to various healthcare professionals from various backgrounds and stages in their career.

Problem statement:

Mental Health diseases are consistently on the rise among healthcare professionals, especially after the Pandemic. Unfortunately, the medical education currently on offer is ill-equipped to prepare healthcare professionals for coping with the everyday stress and anxiety of work, sometimes pushing the narrative that they have to ignore their problems. As such, we aim through this activity to educate medical students on what awaits and on how to deal with it.

Target groups:

• Medical students
• Healthcare Students

Beneficiaries:

• Medical students
• Healthcare Students
• Doctors
• Other health professionals

Objectives:

1.1. To familiarize participants with core terms of Psychiatry and core disorders it deals with

1.2. To familiarize participants with Mental Health Disorders that healthcare professionals and students face (burnout, anxiety disorder, depression etc)

2.1. To familiarize participants with the key aspects of common Mental Health Disorders

2.2. To educate participants on means to support their Mental Health

2.3. To inform participants about the essential support centers and hotlines offered by their university, as well as the type of support available to them through experts

3.1. To help participants understand the development of Mental Health Disorders in Healthcare Professionals

3.2. To help participants understand the importance of seeking assistance in supporting your own Mental Health

Indicators:

1.1. 75% of participants show a greater understanding of core terms of Psychiatry (answers >=4)

1.2. 75% of participants claims to understand the Mental Health Disorders that affect healthcare professionals more (answers >=4)

2.1. 75% of participants claims they can observe signs of a Mental Health Disorder on themselves more effectively(answers >=4)

2.2. 75% of participants claims they are better equipped to deal with the stress and anxiety of the everyday life of a medical student (answers >=4)

2.3. 75% of participants evaluates their understanding of the university psychological support system as having improved (answers >=4)

3.1. 75% of participants claims that the programme helped them understand the extent of Mental Health Diseases in Greece

3.2. 75% of participants claims that they are more likely to seek help should they feel their Mental Health is deteriorating

Methodology:

After identifying the problem statement, a planning period lasting for about a month helped the coordinators decide on the educational methods the program would use. These include:

-Talks from experts (Psychiatrists, Psychologists) that are able to provide an evidence-based scientific perspective

-Interactive talks from Mental Health specialists that engage the participants in meaningful Q&As and discussions to discuss specific aspects of the topic

-Open Space Discussion in small groups (max. 20 participants) that rotate around professionals, so as to maximise questions and direct discussion with healthcare professionals

-Self-reflection through which participants ponder on some questions and reach conclusions about stigma and access to Mental Health services

-Handout after the completion of the programme

One 6 member Organising Committee was selected in each of the 7 Local Committees under the supervision of the National Officer on Public Health.

Plans for evaluation:

The plan is to measure both the outcomes of the activity in terms of content and in terms of quality of organization, as well as measure the change in the participants’ stance before and after the activity. To this end the following means of evaluation were be observed:

Assessment of the quality of the programme, as well as its educational value by external partners

Assessment of the programme by the NMO local officers by means of online meeting

Assessment of the quality and educational value of the programme by the participants by measuring their stance before and after the programme. Α pre- and post-evaluation form filled during the programme in the opening and closing parts will help measure changes in stances, whereas an online form emailed to them a week after the activity will help assess the overall quality of the event.

External collaborations:

-University Psychology Support Divisions: spoke 6/7 cities where the program took place about their work and how to reach out

-Psychiatry Departments of local hospitals: provided educational content and talks

-Healthcare professionals from the local community: Assisted with the Open Space Discussion