Peru was a country with a very long quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, suspending face-to-face educational activities for more than 2.5 years. This situation greatly affected the Centrum PUCP community.
Returning back to normalcy coincided with the start of the PIR Working Groups sessions. In these sessions, the creation of safe spaces for the promotion of mental health was identified as an important issue to explore. Centrum launched an initiative with the aim to raise awareness about the importance of preventing mental illness in its community. The initiative focuses on the prevention of mental disorders, stress and the promotion of a healthy working environment.
As a result, Centrum launched a project with three components. First, a communication campaign to share recommendations on mental health care, as well as reminding policies and channels of care for any type of problem. Second, a series of webinars led by a partner subject expert with the purpose of breaking myths about mental health and teaching mindfulness techniques. And third, a collaboration between different departments of the school to develop activities such as walks, spaces for reflection, mental exercises, with the aim of reducing work-related stress, generating support groups and raising awareness about physical and mental health. Last but not least, the school established coordination with the university’s medical staff to handle potential cases requiring professional attention.
The participation in the PIR Working Groups has been an important contribution to realize this initiative, as it has allowed Centrum to share experiences and learn about different perspectives related to the initiative, creating a positive impact on Centrum’s entire educational community.