Operation: Golden Rosemary – IFMSA-Brazil

Name of the activity: Operation: Golden Rosemary

Country/NMO: IFMSA-Brazil

Program: Mental Health

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

Type of the activity: First-time Activity

Category: Campaign

Focus area: Mental Health promotion and Prevention, Mental Health among Medical Students, Communities especially vulnerable to mental health

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

General description:

In order to highlight the importance of the “Yellow September” campaign, the Operation Alecrim Dourado action sought to foster a critical and empathetic view of mental health in academics and the demystification of prejudices that are still in force. Through synchronous and online meetings, conversation circles took place, in which participants discussed topics such as “toxic” behaviors and prejudices involved with mental health problems, especially among medical students.

Problem statement:

About 12 thousand suicides are recorded every year in Brazil. The medical field, especially academics, is a group that requires attention, while the university context predisposes this population to various stressors and strenuous situations during medical training. Several symptoms and illnesses such as eating and sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, stress and Common Mental Disorder (CMD) are faced throughout graduation, which causes a worsening in the mental health of academics.

Target groups:

• Medical students

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Medical students

Objectives:

1. To highlight the importance of “Yellow September”, highlighting the growing number of individuals with mental health problems and at risk of suicide, with emphasis on medical students;
2. To foster in academics a critical view of mental health, as well as empathy on these topics;
3. To deconstruct the prejudices surrounding mental health;
4. To promote critical thinking about stressful and “toxic” behaviors, seeking to deconstruct them;
5. To elucidate the importance of psychotherapy in addition to relaxation techniques;
6. To inform about ways to seek psychological help when necessary.

Indicators:

1. At least 70% of the medical students who were present at the campaign understand the importance of “Yellow September”, highlight the growing number of individuals with mental health problems and at risk of suicide, with emphasis on medical students;
2. At least 70% of the academics present feel encouraged to have a critical view of mental health, as well as empathy on these topics;
3. At least 70% of the participants deconstruct the prejudices surrounding mental health.
4. 70% of the participants are able to develop critical thinking about stressful and “toxic” behaviors, seeking to deconstruct them.
5. At least 70% of the students who were present at the campaign understand the importance of psychotherapy in addition to relaxation techniques.
6. At least 80% of the students who were present at the campaign understand the ways to seek psychological help when necessary.

Methodology:

The action will feature training for committee members, with the theme of non-aggressive communication. Regarding the dissemination of the campaign, its main platform will be the committee’s instagram, throughout the month of September, aiming at raising awareness and promoting education about mental health. The campaign will also have five synchronous meetings, held through the MEET platform or live on Instagram as follows: I. Group conversation circle with psychologist: The conversation circles held by a trained professional (psychologist) and the participating academics. II. Physical activity and relaxation techniques: These meetings will promote teaching and performing physical activities, yoga, meditations that we can do at home or outdoors. III. The culture of debauchery: This moment will take place in order to establish a conversation between mental health professionals and participating students, focusing on questions raised and on the presentation of “cases” to be discussed.

Plans for evaluation:

Before the campaign, forms composed of five questions will be applied through social networks. The campaign will also feature five synchronous meetings, in which the impact assessment will take place – Group conversation with a psychologist:  it will be evaluated through questionnaires at the beginning of the first meeting and another one with the same questions at the end of the second so that the organizers and participants can notice developments. Physical activity and relaxation techniques: The impact assessment method will be based on a note questionnaire, in which each participant will assign a score from 0-10 to aspects such as motivation, happiness, anxiety, among others, before carrying out the activities and again when they finish. The culture of debauchery: The impact assessment will be done live so that at the beginning of the live participants will be asked some questions about behaviors and their views about them and at the end the questions will be repeated.

External collaborations:

There were no partnerships.