Universidade promotora da saúde mental? uma análise das intervenções implementadas por uma universidade pública brasileira

Abstract

The prevalence of mental disorders among university students has emerged as an increasingly evident global challenge. In this context, the promotion of mental health within the academic environment has become a relevant coping strategy. The global Health Promotion movement, which gained momentum in the 1980s, has catalyzed a range of initiatives grounded in the settings-based approach, across various contexts and institutions. This environmental approach is founded on the principle that health begins in the places and territories where people live, work, and study. Among the initiatives driven by this global movement are the Networks of Health-Promoting Universities.Thus, the present study aimed to analyze mental health promotion interventions directed at university students and implemented by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), a member institution of the Ibero-American Network of Health-Promoting Universities. This dissertation is organized into three academic articles which, although independently structured, are interconnected and collectively address the overarching research objective. The first article, through a scoping review, maps and analyzes interventions (programs, projects, actions, and intervention-based research) aimed at promoting the mental health of university students, as presented in scientific papers published over the past ten years (2014–2024). The second article, a documentary research study, seeks to understand the theoretical and methodological framework of the Ibero-American Network of Health-Promoting Universities, of which UFMG is a member. The third article, also based on documentary research, identifies and analyzes the programs, projects, and interventions implemented by UFMG to promote students’ mental health. The findings indicate that UFMG has made significant progress in the field of student mental health by instituting policies, programs, and support channels that address different levels of need—from initial reception to crisis situations. However, despite these advances, challenges remain that constrain the effectiveness of such actions. Inequitable access across academic units, the absence of a structured and integrated model of care, and the fragmentation resulting from a logic of “institutional silos” hinder the consolidation of a democratic and participatory mental health care network. It is concluded that mental health promotion must be integrated into university policy and daily life as part of a comprehensive model of university mental health care that encompasses multilevel interventions.