Protocolo para implementación de la “chill zone”como intervención para favorecer el bienestar de estudiantes de pregrado y posgrado en una universidad en Colombia

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a "state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community”. Unfortunately, university students have a high prevalence of mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, which have short- and long-term repercussions in various areas. Additionally, multiple barriers limit easy and timely access to mental health services, aggravating the problem. Group interventions have gained importance in recent years as an alternative to mitigate mental health problems, as they can involve several people simultaneously and allow for integration among participants. Various strategies can be implemented in group interventions, with evidence of stress reduction and improvement in mental health. Among these strategies, mindfulness, aromatherapy, art therapy, breath work, body-oriented psychotherapy, and guided visualization stand out. This protocol proposes a group intervention in mental health aimed at undergraduate and graduate students at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Methods: a brief literature review was carried out in indexed databases and grey literature, where articles and information were obtained and used to construct the protocol. An unstructured interview was conducted with a psychologist who provided additional information to develop the sessions. This proposal is aimed at active undergraduate and graduate students at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL), who will be recruited through different communication channels. For the development of this initiative, a space previously provided by the UNAL Student Health Care Center will be used, as well as specific supplies and specialized personnel. We propose to evaluate the impact of the intervention through the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, which will be filled out before and after each of the sessions that make up the protocol.