For a week, Cascais hosted the 38th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, which was organised by the NVOA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH). At the event’s opening session, the director of NOVA NSPH, Sónia Dias, emphasised the importance of health psychology in the changes needed for better Public Health for all and highlighted the role the school has played in terms of training and research.
At the conference, which was marked by several innovative moments, there was also the opportunity to introduce the more than 1,000 participants, many of whom were foreigners, to the Portuguese word ‘saudade’, through a moment of fado, with com Gonçalo Castelbranco, which also made it possible to address the link that culture has with the area of health.
In her speech, Sónia Dias congratulated everyone involved on the excellent programme and thanked Marta Marques and Cristina Godinho, the event’s chairs and professors at NOVA NSPH, for the magnitude of the week’s work and contributions to a healthier and more sustainable future. The event was also supported by the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC).
The director of NOVA NSPH took the opportunity to share the work that has been developed through NOVA NSPH and the CHRC to create evidence that contributes to more agile and informed decisions, particularly in mental health and well-being. “This event is an excellent opportunity to share knowledge and cement the importance that the social sciences can have in responding to the major challenges that society faces, particularly in Public Health, always with the idea of involving all stakeholders, as well as communities, leaving no-one behind”, she said.
“We are committed to investing in innovative research that can drive evidence-based solutions (including digital solutions) to address emerging challenges in Public Health, including the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, ageing and environmental sustainability, among other areas”, she concluded.
With the theme ‘Health Psychology for a Sustainable Future’, the world’s largest scientific congress in the field of Health Psychology and adjacent areas, such as behavioural sciences, implementation science, mental health, digital health and health promotion, addressed very relevant and current health issues, such as health inequities and inclusion, health policies and digital solutions, demographic challenges and climate change, health promotion and well-being throughout the life cycle.