Training of women as promoters of social and emotional health in children and adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Background Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘silent pandemics’ associated with mental health became more visible; likewise, the confinement made us reflect on the importance of family environments for health promotion. On the other hand, child and adolescent suicide increases alarmingly; a context that highlights the need to consolidate health promotion actions from the emotional and social dimensions based on educational strategies with the community, be women, key to strengthen the community health system. Objectives To train 46 women as social and emotional health promoters in children and adolescents through the gamification methodology; 9 training sessions were held, developing the modules: a) Definition of social health and emotional health and play and gamification tools, b) Social health, c) Emotional health and d) Proposal for health promotion. Results Community mothers and women caregivers succeeded: a) Identification and application of the gamification methodology for the formulation of health promotion actions based on the projects implemented, such as: ‘I take care of myself to care for another', ‘Run with My Emotions', ‘Take Care of Myself and Be Happy', ‘Educational Mental Health', ‘Happy Explorers', ‘Active Squad'; b) Recognition of social and emotional health as well as personal and context risk factors; and c) Benefit your 46 families, an average of 5 persons per household, serving 230 persons in the community and 475 children and adolescents belonging to 36 community homes involved in the process. Conclusions Installed capacity was generated by certifying 46 women in the course: Gamification, play and playful, fundamental axes in the promotion of social and emotional health in children and adolescents; evidencing the strengthening of social and family ties based on the personal growth of trained women and the recognition of the role of participating women as multipliers and health promoters in their communities. Key messages • Gamification as a methodology for health education evidence significant learning in women and in their transfer of knowledge to children and adolescents. • Training women as health promoters makes it possible to strengthen the community health system, recognizing the educational role they have in their families and communities to be multipliers.