Author name: innovation

Event organised by the PROMOBIENESTAR University Chair, in collaboration with DIGITASweb https://digitasweb.com/. 

On 28 April 2025, an awareness-raising campaign was held focusing on the identification, understanding and prevention of toxic relationships.

The event took place at the entrance to the Library on the Las Lagunillas Campus at the University of Jaén, and was held in the morning. During the event, various activities were carried out to highlight the characteristics of this type of relationship, as well as to promote their detection and prevention. This initiative is accompanied by an awareness-raising programme aimed at the university community and society in general, with the aim of explaining what toxic relationships are, what their main characteristics are, and how they can affect people’s emotional, social and psychological well-being.

During the campaign, participants were provided with information on toxic relationships, as well as the opportunity to learn about the DIGITASweb tool, which was rated as useful and interesting by those who took part. The campaign consisted of two brief activities: the “message traffic light” and an introspection poster.

The “message traffic light” consisted of a three-colour scale accompanied by a series of messages typical of toxic relationships. Green indicated that the person perceived the message as unimportant or routine; yellow referred to cases where the message might lead to a discussion, with the aim of resolving the situation and pointing out that such behaviour was inappropriate; and, finally, red represented messages that the person would not allow themselves to receive or send under any circumstances.

The aim of this activity was to encourage reflection on the normalisation of such messages and their significance, as they all form part of different stages of the cycle of violence. After completing this activity, participants were invited to place a post-it note indicating whether they had ever made comments of this kind or, conversely, had received them. This exercise aimed to raise awareness of experiences that can sometimes go unnoticed or be overlooked.

Finally, all participants received flashcards bearing the message that no level of violence is acceptable, regardless of its intensity.

The initiative was led by Irune Mata and Lidia Ullate, psychology undergraduates on work placements at the University of Jaén, alongside Nuria Fernández, a research initiation fellow at the UJA. Furthermore, the event was organised thanks to Lourdes Espinosa Fernández, director of the DIGITAS project and co-director of the Promobienestar Chair.

DIGITAS, a digital tool for the transfer of content and resources to address social anxiety disorder and other emotional problems in adolescents, is a proof-of-concept project (PDC2021-121882-100), funded by the State Research Agency of the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/) and by the European Union’s “Next-GenerationEU”/PRTR programme.

Following an invitation, the members of the Chair – María Dolores Ruiz, María de la Villa Carpio and Luis Joaquín García – attended in person the meeting organised by the Observatory on Unwanted Solitude. At the event, the Knowledge Alliance was presented and synergies between the represented institutions were assessed. The members of the Chair outlined its objectives, focusing on collaboration between experts and institutions from an interdisciplinary, holistic and cross-sectoral perspective, covering the issue of unwanted loneliness. Actions were shared within the framework of the Chair and the Provincial Council of Jaén regarding unwanted loneliness among young people, following the team’s participation in the Study on Youth and Unwanted Loneliness in Spain, presented in February 2024 and promoted by the ONCE Foundation in collaboration with Ayuda en Acción. The PROMOBIENESTAR Chair expressed its agreement to join the Knowledge Alliance.

Lourdes Espinosa Fernández, senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Jaén and co-director of the PromoBienestar Chair, gave a lecture on 26 March entitled: ‘Mental Health in Young People and in the Workplace’. The lecture was organised by the Economic and Social Council of the province of Jaén (Provincial CES) and forms part of the “Conferen CES” series. The lecture was introduced by the president of the CES Provincial, Manuel Parras Rosa, who noted that mental health is one of the working recommendations addressed by this advisory body in the chapter of its annual report dedicated to healthcare, and that this will enable the body to make “better recommendations in this area”, a task for which “public institutions must rely on knowledge, so we must place greater trust in scientists and researchers”.

For his part, Martín Robles, a member of the CES and secretary for Health and Social Care Services at CC OO in Jaén, who introduced Lourdes Espinosa, emphasised the importance of reflecting on “the emotional and mental health of society as a whole, and specifically that of our young people”.

For more information:
https://www.dipujaen.es/noticias/detalles.html?t=EL+CES+PROVINCIAL+ORGANIZA+UNA+CONFERENCIA+PARA+REFLEXIONAR+SOBRE+EL+ESTADO+EMOCIONAL+Y+DE+SALUD+MENTAL+DE+LA+SOCIEDAD+Y+DE+LOS+J%C3%93VENES&uid=ad73ecc5-29b9-11f1-88e5-005056b0675f

The presentation took place on 20 March at the University of Jaén’s stand; the event was organised by the University’s Vice-Rectorate for Territorial Development and Institutional Relations.

The event began with an opening address and welcome from Mr Alberto del Real Alcalá, Vice-Chancellor for Regional Development and Institutional Relations at the University of Jaén, who emphasised the importance of bringing academic and scientific activities focused on regional development closer to the public, in order to reinforce the institution’s commitment to the province’s development.

The presentation of the Chair began with remarks from Lourdes Espinosa Fernández, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Jaén (UJA) and co-director of the Chair, and María Dolores Ruiz Sánchez, the Provincial Council’s Councillor for Equality and Youth and a member of the Chair’s Monitoring Committee, who outlined the main activities carried out as part of this initiative. Next, researchers from the University of Jaén, Mireia Servián López and David Jiménez Vázquez, outlined the preventive mental health interventions being carried out under the auspices of the Chair, such as PROCARE and PROCORE. Finally, María de la Villa Carpio Fernández, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Jaén, focused her presentation on addressing unwanted loneliness, a growing social problem in our time affecting various groups and requiring attention from society.

From 19 to 22 March, the University of Jaén, through the Vice-Rectorate for Territorial Development and Institutional Relations, will take part in the Fair of the Towns of the Province of Jaén, to be held at the Provincial Exhibition and Congress Centre of Jaén (IFEJA), with the aim of bringing its academic and scientific activities focused on territorial development closer to the public, to reinforce its commitment to the province’s development.

During the event, the UJA will have its own stand from which it will showcase various initiatives linked to education, research, knowledge transfer and innovation, giving visitors a representative overview of its teaching and research activities.

From 12.45 pm to 1.30 pm, the UJA’s Promobienestar Chair will present ‘Promoting emotional wellbeing among young people through a preventive, inclusive and sustainable approach’, an initiative aimed at creating a shared space for knowledge generation, training and innovation geared towards promoting the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents and young people. The session will feature, on behalf of the Chair’s management, Lourdes Espinosa Fernández, lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the UJA, and María Dolores Ruiz Sánchez, Councillor for Equality and Youth at the Provincial Council, who will present the main activities carried out within the framework of this initiative. The Chair’s institutional video will also be screened during the presentation.

The programme will continue with a presentation by Mireia Servián López, from the University of Jaén, who will address preventive interventions in mental health, as well as a contribution from María de la Villa Carpio Fernández, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Jaén, who will focus her presentation on addressing unwanted loneliness, a growing social problem in our time affecting various groups.

As part of a meeting convened by the Princess of Girona Foundation to share the educational guidelines of the Foundation’s new strategic plan and open up a space for conversation, professors Luis Joaquín García and Lourdes Espinosa presented the objectives and actions that the PROMOBIENESTAR Chair is carrying out in the presence of the President of the Persán Foundation, Concha Yoldi, staff from the Princess of Girona Foundation and those in attendance, including representatives from public and private higher education institutions and the Regional Government of Andalusia.

7/10/2025

The PROMOBIENESTAR University Chair for the Promotion of Health and Emotional Well-being among Adolescents and Young People encompasses the dissemination and transfer of its actions to professionals and interest groups. As part of its efforts to achieve its objectives, it held an Outreach and Transfer Day for the health and emotional wellbeing of adolescents and young people. This conference received an excellent response, with more than 150 people registered: 80% identifying as women, 18% as men and 2% as non-binary, with an interdisciplinary profile of attendees with a diversity of more than 10 degrees, international as it has participants from three countries, and intersectoral, with profiles such as jobs in Youth and Education Councils, Women’s Information Centres, Cities Against Drugs Programme, CSSC and ETF Educators, Referral Nurses in Educational Centres, FAMPAs, Secondary and Higher Education Teachers, Emotional Wellbeing Programme, Juvenile Detention Centre, Youth Health Guidance Centre, Punto Forma Joven, Youth Technicians, deputy mayors, youth and student delegates, with broad geographical representation from all the provinces of Andalusia: Almería, Jaén, Córdoba, Cádiz, Seville, Huelva, Granada, Málaga, as well as Alicante, Badajoz, Barcelona, Ciudad Real, Madrid, Murcia, Toledo, Valencia, Vitoria, and Zaragoza, making a total of 18 provinces and 9 autonomous communities, in addition to attendees from countries such as Brazil, China, and Argentina.

The Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer, Dr Victoria López, and the Vice-President of the Provincial Council of Jaén, Paqui Medina, opened the presidential table, giving way to the director of the Chair, Dr Luis Joaquín García, who shared the logistics of the day with the audience. The inaugural lecture was given by Dr Lourdes Espinosa (UJA) and was entitled ‘What do you think? What do you know? What do you do? Talking about mental health in adolescents and young people. DIGITAS resources’. This was followed by Round Table 1 – Health and emotional well-being from a holistic, interdisciplinary and intersectoral perspective, which included contributions from: Maria Dolores Ruiz (Jaén Provincial Council). Investing in emotional well-being: a firm commitment to the mental health of young people, Celestina Martínez (Jaén Provincial Council). Discussing mental health among young people in contexts of gender-based violence, Irene Aterido (FELGTBI+): Emotional wellbeing among young people from an LGTBIQA+ and intersectional perspective, and Matilde Fernández (Observatory on Unwanted Loneliness). Loneliness among young people in Spain: some of its causes. Finally, Round Table 2 – Advances and resources available in health and emotional wellbeing for adolescents and young adults was held, with presentations by Dr José Antonio Piqueras (UMH). The role of teachers in the socio-emotional development of students: from teacher training to student wellbeing, Dr. Luis Joaquín García (UJA). Personalised protocols to support emotional wellbeing for adolescents and young adults: PROCARE and PROCORE, Dr. Lourdes Rey (UMA). The Internet and young people: improving emotional education for the use of ICT (MEET) and Marta Ruiz, Ibai Alvarez and Ariadna Toril (Princess of Girona Foundation) with the title ‘Press play and amplify your emotional wellbeing’.