“Mental health, associated with a satisfactory level of quality of life, must become a priority for the whole community”. Thus Bernardo Dell’Osso, full professor of Psychiatry at the University of Milan, speaking on the sidelines of the talk show ‘Art that heals: health starts from the brain’ which took place today in Milan, on the occasion of World Health Day mental, which is celebrated on 10 October.
At the event, open to citizens, various experts discussed the importance of brain health and the benefits of an integrated approach to achieve and maintain psycho-physical balance. Promoted by Lundbeck Italia and Bam (Library of trees in Milan), a project by the Riccardo Catella Foundation, the initiative was sponsored by the Municipality of Milan and saw the presence of Francesco Caroli, staff of the Mayor’s Cabinet, representing the councilor Welfare and health of the Municipality of Milan, reads a joint note from all the entities.
“It is often difficult – observes Dell’Osso, who is also director of the department of mental health and addictions Asst Fatebenefratelli, Sacco of Milan – to understand how to deal with a state of mental distress, especially when faced with a real psychiatric pathology for a number of different reasons. For this reason, it is necessary to turn to specialists who can evaluate the psycho-physical conditions of the person and implement – where necessary – the appropriate therapeutic strategies, integrated and personalized, which allow to re-establish a state of overall well-being. Of course, we now have several therapeutic tools available, in addition to medical care, that can support those who are faced with these conditions. Among these, particularly in the context of rehabilitation courses, art therapy certainly falls “.
The talk show was attended by experts in various professional fields related to mental health who, through discussion and dialogue, made the public aware of the concept of well-being and how important it is to safeguard one’s mental well-being, for the benefit of the state of health. total.
“We think that mental health should not be considered a second-class topic – declares the commissioner Bertolé – For psychological well-being to become a right and a priority for everyone, it is however necessary to make it of interest to everyone. For this reason discussions like this, open to citizenship, are important and necessary and the Municipality is committed, through the # Milano4mentalhealth schedule, to promote various opportunities for meeting and confrontation with the aim of overcoming the stigma and reaffirming the importance of caring of one’s psychological well-being “.
‘Art therapy’ – explains the note – indicates a set of techniques and therapeutic treatments that use the visual arts and in a broader sense, including theater, music and dance to promote the health of the person in the emotional sphere , emotional and relational, promoting self-esteem and increasing socialization. Furthermore, through Art Therapy it has been demonstrated that improvements in cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, planning, often deficient in people suffering from mental discomfort, are detectable.
“We have known for some time the mechanisms that regulate the brain’s ability to adapt its response to external stimuli and which are the basis, for example, of learning and memorization processes – explains Monica Di Luca, full professor in the Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan – Recently, other elements have been added to this knowledge that demonstrate how stress, emotional responses and many pathologies can radically modify these plastic capacities of our brain, also highlighting new aspects for possible multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches ” .
In Italy, every year, 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental disorder. There is, however, a large submerged, difficult to quantify, also generated by the stigma and fear of asking for help. In 2020, almost 730,000 people with psychiatric problems were assisted in the specialist field in Italy and over 253,000 patients came into contact for the first time with the Mental Health Departments.
“Bam has always proposed culture in an innovative way, combining cultural moments with scientific debates and involving partner companies in a co-design of experiences that know how to speak of current affairs. After the success of the talk built together in 2021 – says Francesca Colombo, cultural director general of Bam – we are happy to renew for the second year the collaboration with Lundbeck and to propose a project that addresses issues so important for public health in an open place. , inclusive and accessible to all “.
A common goal shared also by Lundbeck Italia, as explained by the managing director, Tiziana Mele. “We are committed to the constant search for solutions to improve the lives of people with nervous system diseases – says Mele-. We believe that creating awareness in an increasing number of people can create the right cultural change to allow the overcoming of those barriers created by the stigma and prejudice towards those who live with a mental pathology. We believe in these ways of raising awareness and each of us must do our part to make the mental health and well-being of all a global priority, for this reason we have decided to renew the joint commitment with Bam – Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano “.