|
Article |
Estrategias para promover el conocimiento en
profesores sobre salud mental y reducir el riesgo suicida en universitarios en
México
Montserrat García Díaz[*]
Julio Ubiidxa Rios Peña*
Abstract
This article, derived from empirical research, had as
its main objective to propose strategies to promote teachers’ knowledge of
mental health and reduce suicide risk among college students in Mexico. The
methodology employed a qualitative approach with an exploratory action-research
design, utilizing inductive and synthesis analysis methods-synthesis. The
sample consisted of 14 teachers from a single campus, who were administered a
semi-structured interview with 10 open-ended questions. The data were analyzed
through a process of coding, categorization, and triangulation, as well as the
construction of matrices for the evaluation of internal factors (EFI), external
factors (EFI), and SWOT analysis. The results showed that deficiencies were
identified in educator training and psychological support, which affect suicide
risk prevention. Lockdown and social pressure have exacerbated emotional
problems, requiring structured support strategies. Emphasis was placed on the
urgent need for awareness-raising, safe environments, and ongoing training. The
conclusions highlight the importance of mental health in strengthening
pedagogical practices. The lack of clear protocols and limited institutional
prevention efforts hinder the detection and management of this phenomenon. It
is recommended to implement strategies in a structured manner and provide
training to improve the university community.
Keywords: Mental health, suicide, strategic planning, university
students.
Resumen
Este artículo derivado de una
investigación empírica, tuvo como objetivo principal, proponer estrategias para promover el conocimiento en profesores sobre
salud mental y reducir el riesgo suicida en universitarios en México. La
metodología fue de enfoque cualitativo, diseño de investigación-acción de tipo
exploratorio; utilizando los métodos, inductivo y análisis-síntesis, cuya
muestra la representaron (14) profesores de un campus, a quienes se les aplicó
una entrevista semiestructurada con (10) preguntas abiertas, gestionada por un
proceso de codificación, categorización y triangulación, así como también la
construcción de las matrices de evaluación de factores internos (EFI),
evaluación de factores externos (EFI) y la FODA. Los resultados evidenciaron que,
se identificaron deficiencias en capacitación de los educadores y atención
psicológica, lo que afecta la prevención del riesgo suicida. El confinamiento y
la presión social han exacerbado los problemas emocionales, requiriendo
estrategias estructuradas de apoyo. Se hizo hincapié en la necesidad urgente de
sensibilización, entornos seguros y formación continua. Las conclusiones
resaltan la importancia de la salud mental para fortalecer el accionar
pedagógico. La falta de protocolos claros, la limitada prevención institucional
afecta la detección y atención de este fenómeno. Se recomienda implementar las
estrategias de modo estructurado y adiestramiento para mejorar la comunidad
universitaria.
Palabras clave: Salud mental, suicidio, planificación estratégica, universitarios.
Introduction
The abrupt changes the world is experiencing on a
global scale—including economic crises, armed conflicts, pandemics that strain
healthcare systems, and rapid technological transformations, among others—are
creating an ecosystem of upheaval, uncertainty, and risk for many people,
leading to mental health issues and, ultimately, loss of life, that is,
individuals taking their own lives (McGorry et al., 2025; Guerra &
Eboreime, 2021).
According to statistical data from the World Health
Organization (WHO, 2021), more than 700,000 people take their own lives each
year (and many attempt suicide), making it the fourth leading cause of death
among people aged 15 to 29. However, at the beginning of 2014, the WHO
documented this social phenomenon in the first global report on suicide, with
the aim of placing a real problem that threatens life—a genuine expression of
humanity—on the global public agenda, as well as raising awareness about this scourge
and suicide attempts, and making prevention a priority.
Therefore, in the context of this article, the
mental health of higher education students is a critical issue for all
stakeholders in the university community, as it impacts not only academic
performance but also the general well-being of students, the environment, and
the development of teaching, learning, extracurricular activities, and
research.
In the undergraduate educational context in Mexico
City, a critical issue has been identified regarding the lack of awareness
among faculty members regarding signs of suicide risk among students (López et
al., 2024). This phenomenon is exacerbated by the lack of safe spaces for
emotional expression within university institutions (Barrera et al., 2024). The
absence of a deep and empathetic understanding on the part of faculty regarding
the emotional difficulties students face, as well as the lack of environments
conducive to emotional expression, reflect weaknesses in timely and adequate
attention to the risk itself.
A recent study by Aguilar et al. (2023) demonstrated
serious problems associated with psychopathology diagnoses among university
students at a higher education institution in Mexico City, showing high suicide
risk based on the results of the Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation
Inventory (PANSI) test administered; additionally, depression, anxiety, and
alcohol and drug use were present. Similarly, Granados et al. (2020) revealed
that among Mexican medical students, there are higher prevalences of anxiety,
depression, and suicidal behavior compared to other academic programs, which
may be attributed to stress levels, mental disorders, pressure, etc.
Such studies highlight the growing prevalence of
this phenomenon, which reflects the weakening of affective social
relationships. Furthermore, the consequences arising from various aspects of
life—including the paralysis of activities within society’s socio-productive
fabric due to pandemic lockdowns—have generated alarming levels of anxiety,
exacerbating these behaviors and patterns.
Thus, empirical evidence supports the
contextualization of a range of issues currently emerging in various academic
programs at higher education institutions in Mexico City—an aspect that should
set off alarm bells for government authorities, administrators, coordinators,
faculty, and other members of the university community to study this complex,
multifactorial situation.
In the context of this study, the situation
highlighted in the previously cited research led to an initial field study at a
higher education institution ( , IES) in Mexico. As a result of this activity,
an initial field study was conducted, during which key informants provided
formal, albeit preliminary, empirical information on the topic. Specifically,
when asked about faculty members’ knowledge and awareness regarding mental
health and suicide risk among undergraduate students at a university in Mexico
City, Informant A stated that:
Many students find themselves in a state of
uncertainty about the present and the future, which leads to pressure from
family members, depression, the need to conform to social standards, troubled
relationships with partners (toxic environment), and anxiety about the future
in the workplace and regarding economic prospects. Additionally, the suicide
rate is increasingly being observed at younger ages, a trend that poses a
latent risk. [Informal conversation with Reporter A, October 7, 2024].
This pressure students face to achieve results and
meet high standards in order to fit into the strata of today’s society aligns
with Han’s (2012) on the “society of exhaustion,” whose postulates criticize
contemporary society for excessive hyperactivity and productivity, leading to
widespread exhaustion in the face of the “performance society,” where the
constant pursuit of success generates stress, coercion, demands, depression,
and other mental health problems.
Similarly, in the dialogic interaction with
Informant B regarding daily work from the perspective of teaching practice, he
expressed a more detailed view of the situation: “The latent problem of suicide
risk and mental health among university students urgently demands intervention
by the authorities to promote the implementation of tools for emotion
management (…)” [Informal conversation held at a university, Mexico City,
Speaker B, October 9, 2024].
This issue demands urgent and specific intervention
that addresses the need to raise awareness among faculty members, who
experience heavy academic workloads and are overwhelmed by the burden of
additional responsibilities, requiring a reevaluation of core functions to
address problems with a more holistic and comprehensive approach (García &
Mendoza, 2024); where safe emotional spaces can be created within undergraduate
institutions.
The situation regarding mental health and suicide
risk among university students requires urgent action within the educational
sphere. The lack of teacher preparation to identify warning signs and provide
emotional support exacerbates the problem. In this scenario, it becomes
essential to propose strategies that strengthen the role of faculty as
preventive agents to create safe spaces that promote well-being.
Hence, the central objective of this study was to
assess teachers’ knowledge of mental health and propose strategies to reduce
suicide risk among university students in Mexico; this was achieved through a
qualitative approach, specifically an exploratory action-research design.
Materials and methods
This article highlights the merits of the
qualitative approach, with an emphasis on a type of action research, which was used
to address real-world problems through a dynamic, participatory, and practical
lens focused on the actual circumstances faced by undergraduate students at a
university in Mexico City, specifically regarding mental health and suicide
risk. It should be noted that the methodological choice also stemmed from the
researchers’ involvement in the university context under study.
According to Polonia et al. (2020), the qualitative
approach delves into the meanings of human actions and social life using
interpretive methodology. By employing this approach, we gained an
understanding of the reality faced by college students, based on the worldview
of professors as social actors in the teaching and learning process, where
mental and emotional health plays a significant role. Here, the experience
cultivated by educators allowed us to gather subjective and intersubjective
perspectives to document suicide risk.
The action research design addressed a critical
issue present in higher education settings across the country. According to
Elliott (2005), the primary purpose of this methodological approach is to
optimize practices rather than focus solely on the generation of knowledge.
This is consistent with a comprehensive approach to the phenomenon of mental
health and suicide risk, aimed at transforming a latent reality through
evidence-based decision-making, with the key actors being the faculty members,
who address it from a collaborative, participatory, critical, and self-critical
perspective.
In this study, action research made it possible to
explore the existing situation and then make recommendations. In this regard,
there was a substantial exploratory component, which, according to Muñoz
(2011), “(…) is aimed at examining a research topic, phenomenon, or problem
that has been little studied, is partially unknown, or is approached from a new
perspective” (p. 24). In this particular case, the topics examined were rarely
studied, such as teachers’ knowledge and awareness of mental health and suicide
risk among undergraduate students at a university.
To achieve the research objective, inductive and
analysis-synthesis methods were employed. The former is a mode of reasoning
that proceeds from knowledge of specific phenomena to generalized knowledge
(Rodríguez and Pérez, 2017); where the subjective and intersubjective positions
of the research subjects are relevant, in this particular case those of higher
education professors and the researcher as the knowing subject. The second
method separates the parts of a whole (phenomenon) to study them specifically
(analytical quality), identifying the scattered components in order to explore
them in depth within the whole (Muñoz, 2011).
The study population consisted of the entire faculty
of an undergraduate program at a university in Mexico City, which totals 45
educators, with an active enrollment of 500 students across various degree
programs. For the sample, a purposive sampling method was employed to select
qualified informants, ensuring the inclusion of faculty members with relevant
experience regarding the categories of mental health and suicide risk analysis.
Here, Romero et al. (2021) state that the researcher’s criteria serve as the
basis. Thus, the sample consisted of 14 faculty members.
To collect the information, interviews were used as
the primary source, conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and
supplemented by analysis matrices for relevant data (EFI, EFE, SWOT) regarding
institutional conditions. The interview guide was structured around ten (10)
items or open-ended questions, each directly aligned with the categories and
the objective. As for the matrices, they were designed to document, as
previously noted, the institutional conditions. Together, this complementary
approach allowed for the construction of a diagnostic analysis that led to the
design of essential strategies to address the issue.
Regarding the coding and categorization criteria for
the analysis of the interviews, open coding with an inductive approach was
applied to identify relevant discursive patterns, while categorization was
performed using Atlas.ti software to organize and
label the fragments according to frequency, depth, and context.
Results
As a result of the fourteen interviews, following
the categorization process carried out by the researcher—who carefully examined
the entire content provided by each teacher—similarities in ideas, arguments,
and rationales were identified. This led to the emergence of two (2) categories
and a total of eight (8) subcategories from the respective discourses of the
key informants, as shown in Table 1. In order to document the study during the
empirical phase, this primary source of knowledge—referred to as
“experience”—was relevant for developing the proposed strategies.
Table1
: Categories and Subcategories for Analysis
|
Categories |
Subcategories |
Coding |
|
C1. Suicide
Risk Prevention (SRP) |
S.1 Mental Health (MH) |
SRP-NI |
|
S.2
Information and Training (IT) |
SRM-IT |
|
|
S.3 Psychological Care (PC) |
PRS-PC |
|
|
S.4
Suicidal Risk Symptoms (SRS) |
PRS-SRS |
|
|
S.5 Confinement (CF) |
PRS-CF |
|
|
S.6 Social Networks (RS) |
PRS-RS |
|
|
S.7 Social Pressure (PS) |
PRS-SP |
|
|
C2. Teacher Awareness and Training (TAT) |
S.8 Professional Development (PD) |
SCP-PP |
Table 2 below presents a summary of the testimonies
provided by key informants, which enabled the identification of essential units
of meaning that reveal the complexity of mental health in university settings.
Based on the testimonies, relevant findings were grouped into analytical
subcategories that highlight educational gaps, institutional tensions, and
psycho-emotional challenges. This input forms the basis for designing
comprehensive, ethically sensitive strategies that address students’ real needs.
2
Table
Summary of interview findings by subcategory
|
Subcategories |
Summary
of the most significant aspects |
|
Mental Health (MH) |
Mental health
is an essential human right that guarantees emotional, psychological, and
social well-being. It requires daily care, emotional support tools, and safe
spaces for a fulfilling life. |
|
Information and
Training (IT) |
Most interviewees perceive significant gaps in
mental health training, noting that training has been scarce, incomplete, or
unrelated to their professional reality. |
|
Psychological Care (PC) |
There is
institutional disorganization regarding psychological care, marked by the
absence of clear protocols and uncertainty about resources. Reactive care based
on individual experience predominates. |
|
Suicide
Risk Symptoms (SRS) |
Factors such as academic stress, low self-esteem,
family and relationship problems, bullying, and a lack of psycho-emotional
support serve as indicators of suicide risk among college students. |
|
Lockdown (LD) |
Lockdown
intensified psycho-emotional issues such as isolation, anxiety, and suicide
risk among university students, where the breakdown of emotional bonds,
difficulty identifying support networks, and the urgent need to strengthen
institutional psychological support were highlighted. |
|
Subcategory: Social
Media (SM) |
Excessive and uncritical use of social media
negatively impacts college students’ mental health, fostering comparisons,
misinformation, and social pressures; while social media can provide support,
it also poses a risk when it shapes decisions and undermines personal
identity. |
|
Social Pressure
(SP) |
They agree that
social pressure imposes external standards that affect the emotional
well-being of university students, leading them to make poor decisions and
pursue goals that are not their own. This pressure can become a source of
stress, vocational confusion, and a weakening of identity. |
|
Professional
Development (PD) |
The interviewees express the urgent need to
strengthen professional development through courses, workshops, and clear
protocols that enable the identification, management, and prevention of
situations of emotional risk among students. They recognize that ongoing
training is key to providing psycho-emotional first aid and acting with
sensitivity and effectiveness. |
Mental health (MH) is perceived as an essential
element of holistic well-being, highlighting its emotional, psychological, and
social impact. The importance of having emotional tools to cope with daily
challenges and prevent potential mental illnesses is emphasized. In this
regard, the WHO (2021) and Gautam et al. (2024) state that it provides
individuals with the resources to cope with stressful situations and the
ordinary stresses of life. Furthermore, several testimonies position it as a
fundamental right, linked to personal stability and the building of healthy
relationships.
Regarding the Information and Training (IT)
subcategory, mental health training for teachers exhibits structural gaps and
limited institutional coordination. Teachers perceive initiatives as isolated
and largely irrelevant, lacking a culture of prevention or clear protocols.
This hinders the early detection of student risks—findings that align with the
research by Sánchez et al. (2014), which indicates that developing
social-emotional skills fosters safer educational environments.
Regarding Psychological Care (AP), the testimonies
reveal a concerning picture: the absence of clear protocols and the perception
that each teacher responds according to personal judgment. While some
interviewees mention the existence of institutional psychological counseling,
most consider its implementation to be deficient or inconsistent. This is
similar to what was documented by Cotonieto et al. (2020): given the high
prevalence of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among college
students, there is an urgent need to strengthen psychological services as
essential for risk prevention and management.
The identified Suicide Risk Symptoms (SRS) encompass
aspects of academic stress, interpersonal problems, insecurities, and the lack
of a reliable support network, with a strong connection between academic
pressure and its emotional impact on students, accompanied by socioeconomic and
family factors. Bullying, fear of failure, and a lack of purpose are key
determinants of psychological vulnerability; these factors align with the study
by Poohongthong et al. (2024), where pressure, depression, feeling overwhelmed
by daily difficulties, and emotions are central to addressing this
multifactorial scourge.
Within the Confinement (CF) subcategory, there was a
profound impact on students’ mental health, exacerbating social isolation and
anxiety. Teachers agree that the pandemic intensified emotional problems,
affecting interpersonal relationships and weakening essential support networks.
Some note that suicide risk increased significantly during this period, while
others believe the situation has normalized over time. Here, research by the
Minnesota Department of Health in the United States (2019), Favril et al.
(2022), and Ribeiro et al. (2018) has identified this perception of an
inability to escape as a significant risk factor in the emergence of suicidal
thoughts, with an emphasis on contexts of prolonged confinement.
Social media has emerged as an ambivalent factor in
students’ mental health; while it has the capacity to provide support and
disseminate useful information, there is a risk of misinformation, social
pressure, and the negative influence of certain content. Constant exposure to
unrealistic standards, the search for approval, and comparison with influencers
can affect young people’s perception of identity and sense of purpose, which
warrants conscious and critical digital education.
Social pressure (SP) emerged as a determining factor
in students’ decision-making, influencing emotional well-being, personal and
family expectations, academic demands, and the influence of social media, which
generate high levels of stress and anxiety. Some teachers consider it a
motivating factor, but most agree that it contributes to depression, low
self-esteem, and a lack of spaces for communication and support within the
educational environment, which exacerbates the problem. Indeed, according to Poohongthong
et al. (2024), it generates anxiety and stress, affecting self-esteem and
decision-making, which, in extreme contexts, contributes to the development of
emotional problems, reflected in self-harm and a sense of failure.
Finally, professional development (PD) is seen as a
crucial tool for addressing mental health challenges in the educational
setting. There is a consensus on the need to train teachers in the
identification and prevention of suicide risk through courses, workshops, and
clear protocols that enable them to respond effectively in crisis situations.
Raising awareness among academic staff is essential to strengthen these efforts
and provide better support to vulnerable students.
This aspect was documented by García et al. (2022),
where teacher training is central to preventing suicide in university settings,
as it enables the acquisition of effective resources to identify risks and
provide timely support. Through psychoeducational strategies with experiential
and didactic approaches, this has proven highly effective in managing knowledge
of this topic.
Results of the Diagnosis and Observation
Internal Factors Evaluation Matrix (EFI)
Using this tool, internal factors were identified in
the undergraduate programs of a university in Mexico City that are affecting
faculty awareness of mental health and suicide risk among students. Table 3
lists four strengths and weaknesses.
Table3
EFI on teachers’ awareness of mental health and suicide risk among
undergraduate students at a university in Mexico City
|
Internal
factors |
Weight |
Grade |
Score |
|||
|
Strengths |
||||||
|
F1 |
This university offers on-campus, executive,
and online academic programs, which facilitates access to education for
different types of students. |
0.15 |
4 |
0.60 |
||
|
F2 |
The institution is part of a network of
private universities with a nationwide presence across different regions of
Mexico and extensive experience. |
0.15 |
4 |
0.60 |
||
|
F3 |
Students have access to tutors and faculty
who support them in their academic development. |
0.10 |
3 |
0.30 |
||
|
F4 |
Academic quality and professional
development programs make it an attractive option for those seeking a solid
education. |
0.10 |
3 |
0.30 |
||
|
Subtotal
weighting |
0.50 |
|
1.80 |
|||
|
Weaknesses |
||||||
|
D1 |
Lack of specific programs to address mental
health care for both the student body and the faculty and administrative
staff. |
0.12 |
1 |
0.12 |
||
|
D2 |
There is no protocol or compliance procedure
for responding to emotional emergencies involving anyone on campus. |
0.12 |
1 |
0.12 |
||
|
D3 |
While it is true that academic support is
available, there is a lack of a comprehensive approach that also prioritizes
mental/emotional health within this support. |
0.13 |
1 |
0.13 |
||
|
D4 |
Persistence of myths
and stigmas; in some cases, teachers may hold misconceptions about suicide
and mental health, which hinders prevention and adequate support. |
0.13 |
1 |
0.13 |
||
|
Subtotal
weight |
0.50 |
|
0.50 |
|||
|
|
Total |
1.00 |
|
2.30 |
||
The analysis using the EFI matrix yielded a score of
2.30, meaning that this university is not in an adequate position to address
internal weaknesses related to faculty awareness and knowledge of mental health
and suicide risk among undergraduate students, as noted by David (2017), where
weighted totals well below 2.5 characterize organizations that are internally
weak.
The results highlight a robust academic structure,
with on-campus, executive, and online programs, allowing students with diverse
profiles to access education flexibly. Similarly, as part of a network of
private universities, it has a presence in various states across Mexico, which
contributes to institutional recognition and stability. The presence of tutors
and faculty who provide academic support reinforces student learning and
contributes to professional success. However, despite these strengths, the institution
can still strengthen aspects of educational quality to improve its ranking, as
noted by Borah et al. (2024) and Prekumar et al. (2023).
On the other hand, the main weaknesses identified
reflect a lack of specific mental health programs for both students and faculty
and administrative staff, as supported by Lee et al. (2023). The absence of an
emotional emergency protocol at the institution represents a critical area that
must be addressed to ensure a safe and supportive environment (Poohongthong et
al., 2024).
Furthermore, the current approach to academic
support does not sufficiently address mental and emotional health, which could
affect the overall well-being of the university community. The persistence of
myths and stigmas surrounding suicide and mental health among faculty members
is another limitation that hinders prevention and adequate support, suggesting
a need for awareness-raising and training strategies to improve the
institutional response to these issues.
External Factors Evaluation Matrix (EFE)
Next, a series of external factors were identified
that could influence and affect faculty awareness of mental health and suicide
risk among undergraduate students. Consequently, a total of 4 opportunities and
threats were defined, as presented below.
4
Table: EFE on faculty awareness of mental health and
suicide risk among undergraduate students at a university in Mexico City
|
External
Factors |
Weight |
Rating |
Score |
||||
|
Opportunities |
|||||||
|
O1 |
There is an opportunity to offer workshops, courses, and activities
that enable faculty and all university staff to promote emotional well-being. |
0.10 |
3 |
0.30 |
|||
|
O2 |
Professionalize
and train faculty members who are in direct contact with students to
effectively and efficiently identify at-risk cases and provide emotional
first aid. |
0.15 |
4 |
0.60 |
|||
|
O3 |
The institution can establish partnerships with professionals and
organizations specializing in mental health. |
0.10 |
3 |
0.30 |
|||
|
O4 |
Integrate a
proactive psychological support program within the university. |
0.15 |
3 |
0.45 |
|||
|
Subtotal
weighting |
0.50 |
|
1.75 |
||||
|
Threats |
|||||||
|
A1 |
Despite the suicide-related incidents that have occurred at the
institution, no initiatives have been identified by academic authorities or
the faculty community to address this risk. |
0.13 |
1 |
0.13 |
|||
|
A2 |
Risk factors
continue to increase day by day, so we continue to have students experiencing
anxiety, depression, and stress. |
0.12 |
1 |
0.12 |
|||
|
A3 |
If students face serious emotional problems such as suicide risk and
do not find adequate support, they may drop out of school, which would
directly impact the institution’s reputation and sustainability. |
0.13 |
1 |
0.13 |
|||
|
A4 |
Negative impact
on the institutional climate: The persistence of serious emotional problems
among students without a clear intervention strategy can create a tense
academic environment, affecting the dynamics between students, faculty, and
administrative staff. |
0.12 |
2 |
0.12 |
|||
|
Subtotal
weighting |
0.50 |
|
0.50 |
||||
|
|
Total |
1.00 |
|
2.25 |
|||
Based on the results of the matrix above, the higher
education institution scored 2.25; this indicates that it falls short of a
standard strategic position. According to David (2017), the average must be
above 2.50 to be considered consistent with faculty awareness of mental health
and suicide risk among undergraduate students. The analysis of external factors
reveals a combination of strategic opportunities and threats that must be
addressed with concrete action plans.
On the opportunities side, the university has an
opening to improve emotional well-being within the community through workshops
and courses aimed at faculty and staff. As noted in the study by García et al.
(2022), psychoeducational strategies with experiential and didactic components
are highly effective in increasing knowledge about suicide and strengthening
skills to provide support.
Likewise, specialized training in risk
identification and emotional first aid helps strengthen the relationship
between faculty and students, creating an environment of trust and support.
Furthermore, establishing partnerships with mental health experts offers a
solution for developing more effective protocols, thereby avoiding ad-hoc
responses to critical situations. In this regard, Bakar et al. (2022) highlight
that while students’ awareness of mental health may be high, gaps in technical
knowledge still exist and must be addressed through intersectoral cooperation.
A complementary strategy that is highlighted is the
implementation of a proactive psychological support program, ensuring that
students have accessible tools to manage emotions and cope with difficulties
with professional support. As revealed by Brann et al. (2021), suicide
prevention programs have a greater impact on awareness and helping skills than
on suicidal behavior, demonstrating that monitoring must be constant and not
merely reactive. These opportunities, when properly developed , can make the institution
a leader in managing emotional well-being within the educational sphere.
In contrast, the threats facing the university
reflect the urgency of taking concrete measures to prevent internal problems
from worsening. As Breet et al. (2021) warn,
educational contexts require evidence-based interventions tailored to
vulnerable populations, as well as the promotion of clinical trials to validate
these actions. The lack of institutional initiatives addressing suicide risk,
despite previous incidents, reveals a critical gap in preventive management,
reflecting a need for leadership and action on the part of academic
authorities.
Added to this is the rise in risk factors such as
anxiety, depression, and stress—conditions that affect students and, if left
unaddressed, can have negative impacts at the institutional level. Data from Cotonieto et al. (2020) reinforce this warning, revealing
that more than half of university students using psychological services in
Mexico exhibit suicidal ideation and symptoms of anxiety and depression,
representing an urgent health challenge.
Thus, the possibility that students with serious
emotional problems will drop out directly affects the university’s
sustainability and external perception. Consequently, the academic environment
is disrupted by the lack of clear intervention strategies, which can undermine
the quality of interaction between faculty and students.
Ultimately, the university under analysis has a
clear course of action: to seize opportunities to strengthen emotional
well-being while simultaneously developing strategies to mitigate existing
risks—an approach proposed by Brann et al. (2021). Through the institutional
integration of high-impact programs, this can transform the university’s
approach to suicide prevention and position it as a leader in mental health.
The results obtained show that mental health
constitutes a cross-cutting theme in university education, the neglect of which
compromises not only academic performance but also human dignity and the
emotional fabric that sustains educational bonds. The low level of awareness
among faculty, coupled with the absence of clear care protocols, hinders the
early detection of su r risk. Hence the need to
recognize that the teaching role transcends the mere transmission of content,
positioning the teacher as an ethical agent in the construction of emotionally
safe and supportive environments. This institutional responsibility demands a
firm commitment to psychoeducational training that is not limited to the
technical realm but integrates the affective, philosophical, and humanistic
dimensions of care.
Strategic analysis using matrices identified
academic strengths that could be integrated with psycho-emotional support
practices. However, structural weaknesses persist, especially in day-to-day
emotional management, highlighting a critical gap between available resources
and an effective response to suicide risk. Consolidating a care system with
defined protocols requires not only institutional will but also an ethical
reconfiguration of the person-centered university model.
At the same time, it is evident that factors such as
academic pressure, digital hyperconnectivity, and the post-pandemic context
intensify youth vulnerability, making a pedagogy of care urgent—one that
strengthens the teacher-student bond through spaces for genuine dialogue and
emotional support. This approach must incorporate an interdisciplinary and
multidisciplinary perspective to explore affectivity, the meaning of life, and
narratives of suffering. Educating about emotions is not a peripheral task, but
a cultural commitment that redefines the university’s mission to promote
holistic well-being.
Finally, the proposed strategies stand as a concrete
response to promote faculty knowledge in mental health and prevent suicide risk
among students. By assuming this responsibility from an ethic of care and a
culture of prevention, the university has the potential to become a resilient
and inclusive model.
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Master’s degree in Environments, Systems, and
Management in Multimodal Education from the Rosario Castellanos National
University; Ph.D. candidate in Sustainability for Development; Master’s degree
in Sociology of Health; and Bachelor of Laws from the Autonomous University of
the State of Mexico. Specialist in Innovative Teacher Intervention in Emergency
Situations, Rosario Castellanos National University. Email:mgarciad001@uaemex.mx . ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4858-9873
Ph.D. in Education from the National Autonomous
University of Mexico (UNAM). Professor at the Rosario Castellanos National
University. Email: ubiidxa03@gmail.com. ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8584-1954