On the 6th and 7th of October, at the Guillermo Valencia Municipal Theater in the city of Popayán, the First Mental Health Congress of the region will take place. This significant event is organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Internal Medicine department, and the Health Research Group (GIS) of the University of Cauca.

With the aim of disseminating knowledge in the field of Mental Health from a clinical and interdisciplinary approach, the capital of Cauca is about to witness the First Mental Health Congress. This crucial event will feature the participation of experts from various higher education institutions such as the University of Antioquia, University of Los Andes, and Santo Tomás University.

During the days of October 6th and 7th, sessions will run from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The invited experts will share presentations addressing topics such as 'Depression in healthcare professionals and students', 'Anxiety disorders', 'Neurology of love', and 'Spirituality and chronic illnesses: an approach', among many other interventions specifically prepared to sensitize, make visible, and share the research being conducted in the field of mental health.

"These are topics that tend to be overlooked despite their importance and the interest they can generate. At this moment, with more than 250 registered attendees for the congress, it leads us to believe that people need and thirst for information on these matters, and Unicauca has taken up the challenge to respond to this," stated Dr. Andrés Dulcey, a psychiatrist and lecturer at our Alma Mater, who will deliver two remarkable presentations during the event.

Similarly, Dr. Sonia Botero Cardona, a psychiatrist from the University of Antioquia, who will participate with the presentation titled 'Evaluation of suicide risk and self-harm behavior in high school and university,' expressed: "It is very important for me to participate in this event because mental health problems have increased after the pandemic. These spaces allow us to raise awareness about mental health issues and the need for intervention, to stay updated, and to share the knowledge of the activities we carry out in teaching, research, and private practice."

With the support that facilitates the realization of educational and updating spaces like this Congress, the current university administration backs with concrete actions that mental health is a priority for the ongoing university project. We understand the value of its care and unequivocally recognize that people are our most precious asset. Just like with all Unicauca events, our efforts and resources have been allocated for the successful development of this academic space. In addition to ensuring the well-being of all members of our university community, we are committed to supporting actions associated with mental health care for the inhabitants of our region, using our expertise and in line with our competencies.

Therefore, it is important to highlight that in order to be a University of Excellence and Solidarity, we must promote an integral approach, which includes fundamental areas such as Mental Health. Hence, we extend an invitation to all interested parties to register for the event through the following link. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfeBfGqvACP-WR2v-COBExjMakY26eg...)

Finally, in advance, we want to thank the professionals who responded to this important call and those who, with their work and commitment, have made this event a reality. To all attendees who will join us for the two days of the Congress, we express our excitement at having your presence because we believe it will be a great experience that will contribute to the well-being of our region.

See you this Friday, without fail, at the Guillermo Valencia Municipal Theater!