2nd Conference on Health and Emotional Well-being at the University of Jaén
On 7 October 2026, to mark World Mental Health Day, the team at the PROMOBIENESTAR University Chair organised an event dedicated to promoting psychological wellbeing and raising awareness of the importance of mental health. Throughout the day, a range of activities took place, including presentations by professionals, participatory workshops and opportunities for people to meet and share experiences, with the aim of fostering awareness, learning and reflection on emotional wellbeing.
The programme of talks featured contributions from a range of professionals from the fields of education, communication, art and psychology, who offered different perspectives on mental health and emotional wellbeing. One of the highlights was the talk by Marta Ruiz Velasco, an educator, member of the Education team at the Princess of Girona Foundation and ambassador for the AmplificArte Programme, who gave a talk entitled ‘Are you listening to me?’, focusing on the importance of listening and communication. Also taking part was ANNARCE, an artist, communicator and educator who creates songs with a social and educational focus, inspired by real-life stories and personal experiences, using music to encourage reflection and spark conversations on issues relevant to society. The event also featured Hikari Juampe, a psychologist, musician and composer, whose contribution enriched the gathering by exploring the connection between psychology and music.
Furthermore, among the workshops run by the University Campus, those on ‘Unwanted Loneliness’ and ‘Body Image’ are particularly noteworthy. The first consisted of two brief activities: the ‘Wall of Strings’ and a space for sharing the steps each person can take to avoid feeling lonely. The ‘Wall of Strings’ consisted of a mural where each person had to tie a string to the statement that best reflected their situation: ‘I feel very supported and connected’, ‘I feel somewhat disconnected; I have a few friends, but I often feel lonely’, ‘I feel connected; I have friends, but sometimes I feel lonely’ and ‘I feel lonely’. In the next activity, a space was set aside where participants wrote on a sticky note what made them feel less lonely, leaving it on display so that others could read it. As a thank you for sharing their advice, participants were given a piece of advice on the same topic. Similarly, wristbands promoted by the PROMOBIENESTAR University Chair were also handed out, bearing the phrase ‘Find your connection, nurture your bonds’, along with a ‘A Minute for You’ card, which featured a series of questions relating to unwanted loneliness to be answered in private.
In the Body Image workshop, participants took part in two main activities: the mirror and the questions. In the mirror activity, each participant looked at their reflection and had to write a positive phrase on the glass with a marker pen. This phrase could be something they needed to hear about themselves at that moment, or a message they would like someone else to read. The aim was to raise awareness of how an everyday act such as looking in the mirror can become an opportunity to appreciate one’s own body and recognise its importance. The second activity consisted of a series of questions relating to body image and its influence on society and social media. The possible answers, ‘YES’ or ‘NO’, were positioned at opposite ends of a sheet of paper. Participants placed stickers on the option that matched their personal experience. This exercise aimed to visually highlight how people perceive themselves and how these perceptions affect their quality of life.
In each of these workshops, everyone had the opportunity to learn about helpful tools such as DIGITAS, PROCARE and PROCORE from the PROEM Network (https://redproem.es/), where they were encouraged to take part in and promote the PROCARE and PROCORE initiatives, which are currently available to anyone wishing to set aside a few minutes for themselves and assess their emotional well-being.
Finally, in Building B4 at the University of Jaén, an exhibition entitled ‘Illustrated Mental Health’ was held, featuring a collection of illustrations that offer a thoughtful and relatable perspective on the lives of teenagers and young people, through the artistic expression of 47 works created by first-year illustration students at the José Nogué School of Art (Jaén) as part of the DIGITAS Project. Inside the building, a space was also set aside for reflection, where anyone could leave a note stating what they would have said to their past self. The illustrations dealt with themes related to mental health, addressing two issues that have a significant impact on today’s young people and which require special preventative care: Social Anxiety Disorder and Suicide.
