The number of mental health promotion groups in universities during the current year 2022 AD has reached about 28 groups in 28 public and private universities, as well as 28 centers, units and guidance management under the name of Student Care Centers.
The National Center for the Promotion of Mental Health, which launched the initiative to promote mental health in universities in 2017, aims at 7 universities, to cover all universities in the Kingdom in the future, which currently numbered 28 universities.
This is according to the official in charge of the initiative to promote mental health in universities, senior psychologist Basma Helmy, for “Makkah”.
Helmy explained that to ensure unification of efforts and standardization in these centers, the center issued the guiding guide for the Student Care Center in Saudi universities, and the National Center aims to make the promotion of mental health in universities an approved indicator among the indicators of academic accreditation.
She pointed out that the center launched an initiative to promote mental health in public and private universities within a basic organization and a clear framework, as it is one of the educational institutions that contribute to shaping the awareness, behavior and personality of male and female students, and includes a large youth segment of diverse characteristics, and this contributes to understanding mental health issues in the university environment.
Enhancing the mental health of the university student through 6 goals, according to Helmy:
- Building the balanced personality of the university student through enrichment programs and activities and developing the scientific, creative and research aspects.
- Promote mental health concepts through awareness programs and primary mental health courses.
- Activating the student care centers, which are called university counseling centers, by providing the student with the skills of academic adaptation, dealing with stress and solving problems.
- Providing community initiatives in the field of mental health.
- Participation in scientific and research activities related to mental health through conferences, scientific research and the like.
- Determining the risk factors that may threaten the mental health of the university student, as well as the most vulnerable groups, and how to deal with them.