Pere Castellvi Obiols

Pere Castellvi Obiols is PhD of Psychology from 2009 at Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB in Spanish), and Master of Children, Adolescent and Adult Psychopathology (UAB), and Master of Public Health (UPF).  His field of research are currently focused on mental health promotion and prevention of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors in youths at a community level.  He is currently working at Health Services Research Group at IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona at Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), Barcelona (Spain).  Previously, he worked at other hospitals and mental health disciplinary groups such as schizophrenia, bipolar and sleep disorders.  Furthermore, he was a temporary researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore (USA) in suicide prevention. 

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death being a serious public health problem.  Over the past 45 years worldwide suicide rates have increased 60%, and the population of adolescents and youths recorded the highest increase, being suicide the second cause of death among this population.  The knowledge of the magnitude of the problem and their associated risk factors, the identification and early intervention among high-risk subjects, and the intervention among clinical patients with a history of suicidal behaviours and detected by health services is needed to prevent suicidal behaviours and to reduce suicidal rates.  This symposium will show the state of the art of these behaviours and how to prevent them explaining their key risk factors, and explaining some innovative preventive programs.  Firstly, Pere Castellvi will reveal which risk factors are associated with suicide attempt and suicide among adolescents and youths through a systematic review and meta-analysis developed by his research group.  He will explain the highest risk factors and major direct contributors.  Secondly, Jose Antonio Piqueras will show us DetectaWeb program based on an on-line early detection of anxiety, depressive and suicidal behaviours in primary and secondary educational settings.  Thirdly, Rocio Casañas will expose EspaiJove.net: a space for mental health, a community-based study of mental health literacy in adolescents between 12 to 18 years, aiming to promote mental health, to prevent mental disorders and suicidal behaviors, to eradicate stigma, and to promote help-seeking behaviors.  Finally, Annabel Cebrià will explain a preventive program of suicidal behaviors developed at Hospital Parc Taulí, Sabadell, within the European council European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD- www.eaad.net) project.