Santa Maria Health School (SMHS) reinforced its commitment to promoting mental health and well-being in Higher Education through the participation of psychologist Sónia Oliveira Pereira in the Erasmus+ Staff Training “Supporting Student Well-being in Higher Education: Strategies, Tools and Institutional Practices”, held on 4-5 June 2026 at Ghent University, Belgium.
Following a successful Erasmus+ application, the SMHS staff member was invited not only to participate in this international training programme but also to deliver an oral presentation, representing the institution and disseminating the work developed within the Mais Saúde Mental, Melhor Ensino Superior (MSMMES) Consortium.
The presentation, entitled “Integrating Mental Health Promotion and Preventive Interventions in Higher Education: The ‘Mais Saúde Mental, Melhor Ensino Superior’ Consortium Model”, showcased the consortium’s main initiatives, strategies and preventive interventions aimed at promoting mental health and well-being among Higher Education students in Portugal.
The event brought together participants from sixteen European countries and provided a valuable platform for the exchange of experiences, institutional policies and best practices related to mental health, student well-being and support services in Higher Education.
Key topics addressed throughout these days included:
- Mental health promotion and wellbeing in Higher Education;
- Mental health literacy and preventive strategies;
- Development of institutional policies to support students;
- Innovative approaches to fostering student engagement in mental health promotion initiatives.
The training fostered the exchange of experiences and good practices among European Higher Education institutions, contributing to the development of innovative strategies to address challenges and promote student mental health and well-being.
Reflecting on the experience, Sónia Oliveira Pereira highlighted:
“This experience proved to be extremely enriching, providing an opportunity to exchange knowledge and good practices with professionals from different European countries. The opportunity to present the work developed within the MSMMES Consortium reinforced the importance of international cooperation in promoting student mental health and well-being. I return with new ideas, partnerships and motivation to continue contributing to the development of increasingly inclusive, promising and effective responses to support SMHS students.”
SMHS would like to express its sincere appreciation to Ghent University, particularly the International Relations Office, for the excellent organisation of the Staff Training and the warm welcome extended to all participants.
Special thanks are due to An Van Laeken and the entire organising team, whose professionalism, dedication and support were instrumental to the success of this initiative.
Participation in this Erasmus+ mobility contributes directly to SMHS’s internationalisation strategy and to the strengthening of the institution’s initiatives in mental health promotion, prevention and student support.
