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Description
The project MATÉRIA PRIMA Ateliers de Desenvolvimento Pessoal e Artístico (“RAW MATERIAL Workshops of Personal and Artistic Development”) aims to contribute to the reduction of psychosocial vulnerability of adults diagnosed with severe and disabling mental illness, enhancing the improvement of quality of life and their social inclusion. It will make available in an articulated way the following activities: i) a workshop for artistic expression, aiming to rescue, develop and expand the creative, communication and therapeutic potential through the experimentation of different expressive tools; ii) a personal development workshop, where their personal, relational and cognitive skills will be stimulated through the implementation of a skills training program. The project will implement concrete actions to promote a culture of active participation of beneficiaries.
Summary of project results
Mental health is a fundamental component of the health and well-being of individuals and communities. It is now recognized as a significant determinant of social inclusion and active economic and community participation. In recent years, mental illnesses have become the leading cause of disability, psychosocial dependency, and one of the main contributors to morbidity in contemporary societies. They represent a major public health and social challenge, with their burden significantly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Portugal, the prevalence of mental health disorders is 22.9%, placing the country second among European nations, as highlighted in the CNS report *Sem Mais Tempo a Perder* (2020).
Mental illness has profound impacts on economic, social, educational, and judicial systems and is strongly correlated with phenomena of social exclusion. Individuals with severe mental illnesses often face substantial vulnerability and suffering, including social isolation, diminished quality of life, barriers to employment, difficulties in managing daily activities, higher mortality risks, and the pervasive obstacle of stigma. Portugal faces severe gaps in mental health services, particularly in community-based solutions focused on the rehabilitation and psychosocial inclusion of individuals with debilitating mental illnesses. The *Sem Mais Tempo a Perder* report (CNS, 2020) emphasizes this gap, highlighting the absence of such services in the Bragança district, despite the National Mental Health Plan (2007–2016) advocating for interventions in this area.
A solely medical approach cannot address the broader social determinants of mental health. A biopsychosocial perspective is essential to mitigate the impact of mental illness and maximize the well-being and inclusion of affected individuals. This project emerged from diagnostic discussions with key partners and aims to address several pressing needs. These include the lack of community-based solutions for psychosocial rehabilitation and inclusion, particularly in the Bragança district, which has no initiatives targeting individuals with severe mental illnesses. Social diagnostics have also highlighted the rising social issues linked to severe mental illnesses, underscoring the need for occupational and recreational therapeutic interventions, as indicated in the Mirandela Social Diagnosis (2019) and the PDS Mirandela (2019–2021).
The increasing demand for mental health services in the region further supports the urgency of this initiative, with 6,680 psychiatric consultations and 214 acute hospitalizations recorded in 2021, according to the ULSNE Annual Report. The Regional Health Plan identifies mental health as a high-priority area, further emphasizing the necessity of targeted interventions. Between November 2021 and September 2022, Matiz received 32 requests from families seeking occupational solutions for individuals with mental illness, illustrating the demand for such services.
The “Matéria Prima” project will operate in Mirandela, identified as a priority location by regional mental health services. This locality has never hosted similar initiatives, highlighting the urgent need for community-based, inclusive, and rehabilitative interventions to address these critical challenges.
The project *MATÉRIA PRIMA: Personal and Artistic Development Workshops* contributed to the empowerment of 25 adults experiencing isolation or psychosocial vulnerability due to diagnoses of severe and debilitating mental illness. The proposed intervention focused on an integrated weekly programme comprising two core activities.
The first activity was an artistic expression workshop designed to promote emotional regulation and expression through activities such as yoga, physical exercise, artistic crafts, creative writing, and others. This workshop ran for a total of 156 hours, with participants attending at least 90 hours.
The second activity was a personal development workshop aimed at enhancing personal, relational, and cognitive skills. This workshop totalled 104 hours, with participants engaging for at least 60 hours. Additionally, the psychologist facilitating the workshops provided two hours of weekly individualized support, amounting to 208 hours in total.
Participants also took part in community events, fostering greater social integration. The project adopted participatory methods, involving beneficiaries in the monthly planning of activities and in the organization of the final exhibition.
As part of the capacity-building efforts, a needs assessment and an internal capacity-building plan were developed for Matiz. This plan included defined goals, result indicators, and an action timeline to ensure structured implementation and measurable outcomes. To accomplish this, meetings were held between the Matiz team, volunteers, and external consultants to implement the capacity-building component of the project.
In the first phase, a focus group was conducted to diagnose organizational needs, addressing areas such as impact, financial sustainability, team, growth, and strategies. A SWOT analysis identified internal needs in areas such as impact evaluation, partnerships, marketing, leadership, human resources, and information technologies. In the second phase, an institutional capacity-building action plan was developed with goals, indicators, and an action timeline.
The project implemented an integrated community-based response aimed at the psychosocial rehabilitation of individuals with severe mental illness, fostering empowerment, improved quality of life, and psychosocial integration among participants. Personal development workshops were conducted, focusing on skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, decision-making, and problem-solving. These workshops included individualized support provided by a clinical psychologist.
In the Artistic expression workshops, participants explored creative tools such as visual arts, yoga, music, creative writing, and cultural visits. These activities promoted creativity and individual expression within the group.
Beneficiaries also engaged in community events, including participation in the Feira da Alheira de Mirandela, visits to museums and libraries, festive celebrations, and a closing lunch.
The project culminated in a public dissemination event and the opening of an exhibition, showcasing the outputs of the workshops. Held at the Galeria do Mercado in Mirandela, the event was attended by participants, their families, project partners, and members of the local community.
Regarding the capacity building dimension of the project, the organization stated that growing and developing in the social economy in Portugal, generating innovative social interventions with community impact, has been a challenge for them. The implementation of the capacity-building component within this project enabled the development of important internal work, which they continue to focus on.