Summer School in Public Mental Health, 5th edition

 A group of specialists from Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova participated in the Summer School in Public Mental Health organized at the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar) in the city of Porto, Portugal. The 5th edition was held in the context of the European Public Health Week on the topic "Facing the global crisis: preparing the next lessons learned from pandemic and war - disasters, wars and climate change from the perspective of public mental health". 

Our university was represented by Associate Professor Jana Chihai, head of the Department of Mental Health, Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy; Associate Professor Inga Deliv, head of studies at the Continuing Medical Education Program; University Assistant Alina Bologan, head of studies, and Radislav Cosulean, Master's student at the Public Mental Health program. 

Speakers at the event were representatives of several global institutions: the World Health Organization, the World Federation of Public Health Associations and the European Public Health Association. 

Associate Professor Jana Chihai noted that the course focused on the impact of natural disasters and climate change, war, and pandemics on public mental health. In this context, new action mechanisms were developed under mental health promotion programs, and, at the same time, the research methodology for scientific production was established, a critical analysis of scientific articles and the systematic development of reviews and meta-analyses on this topic were proposed. 

The summer school in public health is part of the series of annual courses organized by the European Public Health Association in collaboration with the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Porto, the Hochschule Emden/Leer – University of Applied Sciences, the Association of Schools of Public Health in European Region and Mental Health Association in South Eastern Europe.