San Juan Capestrano Hospital holds mental health workshop

By THE STAR STAFF

As part of its commitment to the continuing education of healthcare professionals, the Continuing Education program at the San Juan Capestrano Hospital System in Puerto Rico brought together hundreds of mental health professionals and physicians in a workshop entitled “Identification and Management of the Most Common Psychiatric Conditions in Medical Practice.”

The educational event, held in Ponce, was led by psychiatrist Dr. Edgardo Prieto Agostini, the medical director at San Juan Capestrano Caguas, who gave a lecture on his clinical experiences that included the three most common diagnoses in general medical practice: severe major depression, anxiety disorders and insomnia.

“On this occasion, we discussed the severity of ongoing depression, which remains one of the leading causes of disability globally and a significant risk factor in patients with chronic conditions such as myocardial infarction, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS,” Prieto Agostini said. “We also explained that anxiety disorders directly impact patients’ social, occupational, and physical functioning, while insomnia, in any of its forms (transient, persistent, or recurrent), affects both physical and mental health, making early diagnosis and management essential for effective treatment.”

Prieto Agostini said the goal of the workshops was “for every physician to have practical, up-to-date tools to identify and manage these conditions from the first level of care.”

“In doing so, we not only address the patient’s mental health, but also positively impact their physical health and quality of life,” he said.

The workshop marked the third educational event organized by San Juan Capestrano Hospital this year, following successful editions in Caguas and Bayamón. The workshops are part of a strategy designed to bring mental health education to different regions of Puerto Rico, thus ensuring that more physicians and healthcare professionals have access to up-to-date and practical information for their clinical practice.