Mental health campaign

Small working group on mental health

August 2006 GA
SCOPH
 We decided to develop a
campaign divided in 3 parts,
which aims at targeting some
taboo relating to mental health
Our campaign is divided in 3 parts:
1) Training of medical students who
are interested in the general topic of
mental health and who often are not
educated about the topic before the
end of their curriculum
2) Awareness Day : Objective is to
educate general population about
the high prevalence of depression
among elderly
3) Activities in nursing homes : To
target directly the elderly at risk of
depression
Training program
 Training program
Goals

1. To prepare medical students with necessary

knowledge, skills and the right attitude to deal
with mental disorders.
2. To teach students to consider the mental aspect
of diseases and patient histories
3. To encourage pre-clinical students to think
about mental health and to participate in mental
health projects.
 Training program (continued)

When? : Before the awareness day

(hugging day)

Where? Locally, nationally or as a PreGA

Duration: 5 days
 DAY1: Hospital Visit
Reason: As many preclinical students
are not familiar with mental health
disorders, they first need to be in
contact with psychiatric hospital staff or
a doctor in the psychiatric department.
 DAY2: WORKSHOP on depression
(it is the first main focus)
 Basic knowledge about depression:
• Signs and symptoms
• How to determine the severity of
depression
• Etc.

 Person to contact: Professor from

the psychiatry department
DAY3: Communication skills training
 How to listen to others carefully?

 How to show sympathy to the

patient?

 Etc.

 Person to contact: psychiatrist

or psychologist
 DAY 4: counseling skills training
 How to take history from the
psychiatric patients?
 What questions to ask and not to
ask?
 How to handle the patients?
 Person to contact: psychiatry
department
 DAY5: practical – hospital visit
 Meet up with stable psychiatric
patients and apply the theory and
techniques that had been learned
in the past four days : try to
understand their situation and how
their disease affects their lives
Elderly Depression Day
 Elderly Depression Day
 Goal : To raise awareness among
medical students and the elderly
about the prevalence of
depression among geriatric
population
 Elderly Depression Day
 Plan of actions :
• Publicity
• Hugging event in med schools / in public
• Friday bar
• Mental health “clinic”
• Poster session in the medical faculties
• Posters / pamphlets in general practices
advertising for the elderly depression day
 Activities in nursing
homes… can we try to
decrease the prevalence
of depression among
elderly?
Few facts about depression among elderly
 Detecting depression in the elderly may be complicated
as often the symptoms (eg: fatigue, loss of appetite
and sleeping difficulties) are associated with the aging
process or a medical condition.
 Contributing factors include : loss of a spouse or close
friends, chronic pain and illness, difficulty with mobility,
frustration with memory loss, difficulty adapting to
changing circumstances such as moving from a home
to a retirement facility, etc.
 Depression can also be a sign of a medical problem. It
may be complicated by brain disorders associated with
the aging process such as Alzheimer’s disease.
 Depression in the elderly is a
widespread problem that is often
not diagnosed and frequently
undertreated. Many older
individuals will not admit to signs
and symptoms of depression for fear
of being seen as weak or crazy…
 Action 
 Therapy of art : drawing, painting

 Singing

 Just listen to them

 Discover talents and raise their self-

esteem
 Action (continued)
 Circle : facilitator among a small group of
elderly to facilitate friendships

 Once in a month : bigger activity

(eg : nature trip)

 1 med school associated with 1 nursing

home at first…

 Visit 1X/2 weeks

 Please take care to :
 Adapt your activities according to
their level of cognitive status

 1 student for 5 patients so that

relationships could be developed
(God Fathering)
 How to handle Depression
 Don’t talk first about depression but
be prepared to answer

 Discuss it in group : show movie or

play about depression to patients
and professionals
 Events
 Celebrate specific dates to keep them
well aware of the time :

• Christmas dinner

• Picnic to celebrate the beginning of summer

• etc.
 Recruitment
 Nursing home : Write down the description
of the project (goals, etc)

 Students : Educate them about geriatric

medicine and the emotional needs of elderly

 Recruit students for other faculties :

psychologist, social worker, etc. if they
received also the training
Thank you from the small
working group on mental
health!!!