At the University of Verona, new initiatives aimed at the management and prevention of situations of anxiety and stress among students make physical and psychological well-being the focus. New tools that connect Verona’s realities will be available as of the upcoming academic year, including “Campus: Characterize and Address Mental Health Problems in University Students” and “Test the Sport @Univr: Sport and Wellness for the University Community of Verona.”
“Campus”, the tool for stress management
The psychological program “Doing what matters in times of stress,” created by the WHO (World Health Organization (WHO) and translated by Univr, is based on several international clinical studies on vulnerable populations and served as the inspiration for the project “Campus: Characterize and Address Mental Health Problems in University Students.” It is a manual that offers helpful tips on how to deal with stress while also describing typical everyday scenarios experienced by people who are going through a period of intense tension.
The “Campus” project will then give students a tool to understand and control their emotions. Participants can access the Moodle university platform and choose the item “Do what matters in times of stress” in an entirely online mode that is distinct from the typical help desks. They will then have access to techniques for dealing with stressful and anxious situations.
Physical and psychological well-being through sport
Numerous studies have shown how sport improves psychological health, stimulates reflection and cognitive function, and encourages socialization for a higher quality of life.
In this regard, PR.O.V.A. Prescrizione, Orientamento, Valutazione in Ateneo per LO SPORT is a significant innovation for the academic year 2023-2024. Its main goal is to introduce students, especially those who don’t participate in sports, to the various disciplines. Not only that, though. A group of specialists, including kinesiologists, sports doctors, physiatrists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and nutritionists, will accompany the students on their athletic journeys with the goal of preventing potential pathologies.
Other goals include providing students with sports options based on their needs and developing a synergistic network between the various university departments to maximize and utilize each department’s strengths. In fact, several departments, including those of Sports Medicine, Psychological Sciences, and Social Sciences, are supporting the “PR.O.V.A. lo sport ” initiative.
The project is one of several initiatives to promote sports participation, including the long-running “Univr sport: sport and wellness for the university community of Verona.” It is based on recommendations made in four categories: sports activities, such as football, athletics, and volleyball; fitness, such as pilates classes or postural tone; adapted physical activity, such as motor activities for people with disabilities; and recreational activities, which should be done primarily in the outdoors and in groups.
