- Depression is the most common mental disorder in the world and it is estimated that 5% of the adult population suffers from it.
- 75% of people with this condition in Mexico do not access adequate treatment.
- It can occur in people of all ages and socioeconomic conditions.
Mental health is a fundamental part of being able to achieve full well-being. The biggest mistake that people make is only focusing on the physical part and it is one of the causes that have caused a severe crisis of depression that spreads throughout the world. In fact, since the start of the pandemic it has become more evident and its impact can be deadly.
When presiding over the start of the festivities for the 50 years of the Faculty of Psychology of the UNAM, the rector Enrique Graue Wiechers affirmed that his work today is more necessary than ever. Everything starts from the fact that contemporary phenomena and crises place depression as the second cause of disability worldwide. While in countries like ours about 75 percent of those who suffer from it do not access treatment.
He explained that these affectations occur in people of all ages and socioeconomic conditions. He also pointed out that according to data from the Ministry of Health (SSa) it is estimated that up to eight percent of the population suffers from some form of depression.
The largest psychologist trainer in Mexico
In the Auditorium “Dr. Luis Lara Tapia ”of the Faculty of Psychology, accompanied by the General Secretary of the University, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, the rector recognized that academic entity for his work for five decades. He asserted that it is impossible to imagine Mexican and Latin American psychology without his participation, since he graduates the largest number of professionals in this discipline in the country and the most renowned psychologists of our nation have worked in his classrooms and laboratories.
Graue Wiechers explained that the Faculty enjoys national and international recognition. He indicated that 92 of his academics are part of the National Research System and the Psychology degree is the third with the highest number of applicants in this house of studies.
“During the pandemic, their capacities and psychological care strategies were expanded for the benefit of university students and the population in general. Thank you so much for all you did and continue to do. The University undoubtedly needs the support of the Faculty of Psychology”.
Meanwhile, the director of the FP, María Elena Medina-Mora Icaza, stressed that the degree of this academic entity has been reaccredited for its quality and guarantees the training of professionals to meet the demands of the current environment.
“Quality that has led it to be ranked first in the teaching of Psychology in the main national university rankings, and in second place in Latin America.”
Postgraduate courses are also recognized by the CONACYT National Quality Postgraduate Program. Its academic plant constitutes the most vigorous and productive research group in Mexico in the area of Psychology.
In the same way, he said, that university entity was the cradle of the fight for equality and equity in the university environment. He highlighted its links with national and international organizations, such as the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization.
Likewise, he heads the Technical Committee for Mental Health Care of the UNAM community, in addition to collaborating with other academic and government entities in support of society.
“Our community has become relevant in the analysis and confrontation of a wide range of social problems, including events that have marked our common history and have made evident the wide need for mental health care, such as the earthquakes of 1985 and 2017 and the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the Faculty has responded with responsibility and social commitment”.
Erika Karina Linares Urbina, graduate and distinguished with the Gabino Barreda medal, agreed that Vocational Training is the highest benchmark for psychology research and teaching in Mexico, which has contributed to the training of professionals in charge of the study of the human being through from six fields of knowledge: Cognitive and behavioral sciences; Psychosocial and cultural processes; Clinical and health psychology; Psychology of the education; Organizational psychology; and Psychobiology and Neurosciences.
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