On May 7, the Sant Cugat campus auditorium hosted the Conference on Clinical Depression and Suicide, organized by the UIC Barcelona Institute of Patient Care and the Johnson & Johnson Chair of Innovation in Health Policy. The event was also streamed online. It brought together professionals from clinical, academic, institutional, and advocacy sectors, offering a multidisciplinary and innovative perspective on one of the most pressing mental health challenges—through a person-centred lens.

The conference was opened by Dr Boi Ruiz, director of the Institute of Patient Care, who emphasised the need to rethink the mental health care model to make it more humane, integrative, and effective. To introduce the session, the trailer for the documentary La Xarxa Invisible (The Invisible Network), produced by UIC Barcelona, was screened. This served as a prelude to the keynote address by Dr Jordi Blanch, head of Service at Hospital Santa María de Lleida and psychiatrist at Hospital Clinic de Barcelona. His talk provided an updated overview of the epidemiology of major depression and available treatments, highlighting the need to adapt healthcare responses to the increasing complexity of cases.

Depression, comorbidities, and suicide prevention: an integrative approach

Next came the first roundtable titled “Clinical depression, Comorbidities, and Suicide”, moderated by Dr Andrés Cuartero, head of psychologists at the Catalan Emergency Medical System (SEM). Participants included Dr Isabel Amo, project coordinator at the Institute of Patient Care and specialist in borderline personality disorder; Dr Cecilia Borràs, president of the After Suicide Association; Dr Salvatore Aguilar, mental health coordinator at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu; and Ms Isabel Sierra, director of the National Mental Health Pact of the Government of Catalonia.

During the discussion, the urgency of greater coordination between mental health, primary care, and emergency services was emphasised. Attention was also drawn to the increase in cases among older adults, and the need to go beyond merely containing suicidal impulses was highlighted—calling for interventions that help rebuild life purpose and meaning for those in crisis.

Therapeutic advances and real-life experiences: toward a more accessible model

Andoni Ansean, president of the Spanish Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Spanish Society of Suicidology, moderated the second roundtable, “Clinical Depression and Therapeutic Innovation.” Participants included Dr Verónica Gálvez, psychiatrist at Parc Taulí University Hospital; Ms Maria Assumpció Laïlla, nurse and Barcelona City Councilor; Ms Silvia G. Márquez, programme manager at SOM VIA Group; and Ms Carme Llanes, volunteer with the Ments Despertes programme of the same group, who shared her personal testimony.

The speakers agreed on the need to promote effective and accessible treatments, such as esketamine for treatment-resistant depression, as well as the development of specific therapeutic strategies for suicide prevention. Llanes’ testimony offered a valuable perspective on the real needs of affected individuals and underscored the importance of strong support systems from both the healthcare system and public policy.

Communication as a key tool against stigma

To close the conference, journalist Ricardo Aparicio, a specialist in health communication, summarised the main conclusions of the event. He emphasised the importance of building empathetic, clear, and stigma-free narratives around mental health, as well as the need to strengthen institutional, community, and media support for people with depression.

This conference is part of the ongoing commitment of the UIC Barcelona Institute of Patient Care to a person-centred care model based on dignity, respect, and scientific evidence. Since its creation in 2013, the Institute has worked to generate useful and applicable knowledge that contributes to improving the quality of life of those living with chronic illnesses and mental health disorders, reaffirming the University’s role in social transformation.