The seventh Mental Health Symposium integrated lectures, workshops, and activities focused on violence prevention.
By: Integrated Communications
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the University of the Sacred Heart celebrated the seventh edition of its Mental Health Symposium, a space dedicated to prevention, education, and collective well-being. Under the theme “Mental Health and Violence: From Vulnerability to Prevention,” the event brought together specialists, students, and the general public to reflect on emotional health as a tool for building more just and resilient communities.
This initiative began in the 2018–2019 academic year, when Professor Lourdes Ramos, from the Nursing program, proposed creating a university space to talk openly about mental health, break stigmas, and promote a culture of well-being. What started as an individual idea has evolved into an institutional program now celebrating seven years of continuous work.
“As a university community, it is our duty to lead these efforts from a multidisciplinary perspective grounded in scientific evidence, as defined by our academic project. In this seventh edition of the Mental Health Symposium, we focused our dialogue on violence prevention as a key path to achieving greater social well-being,” said Dr. Bianca Valdés Fernández, Dean of the School of Health and Sciences.
Dr. Karen Martínez González, Director of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Puerto Rico’s Medical Sciences Campus, delivered the keynote address “Critical Reflections on Violence and Mental Health.” In her presentation, she discussed how factors such as trauma, social inequality, and exclusion impact emotional health, while sharing prevention strategies centered on community care.
Professor Carlos A. Muñiz leading the activity “Sowing and Healing.”
During the afternoon, Sagrado’s campus transformed into a space for connection and well-being, offering a variety of activities designed to promote mind-body awareness and violence prevention. Highlights included a guided meditation session with Professor Awilda Rodríguez Lora on the Barat Sur steps, and the workshop “Art for Mental Health and Violence Prevention,” led by Professor Maité González. Meanwhile, at the Community Garden, Professor Carlos A. Muñiz led “Sowing and Healing,” an experience that approached mental health from an eco-pacifist perspective. The day concluded with a sensory activity organized by the Office of Integral Well-Being and Quality of Life, inviting participants to reconnect with their emotions through mindfulness.
Sensory activity coordinated by the Office of Integral Well-Being and Quality of Life.
Beyond an academic event, the symposium reaffirmed Sagrado’s commitment to emotional health as a human right and to the creation of spaces where prevention, dialogue, and mutual care are essential components of university life.