Month-long initiative begins with community flower planting
Cerdanyola del Vallès has launched its Mental Health Month, a programme running from October to November 2026, aimed at raising awareness, preventing emotional distress, and promoting mental well-being across the community. The initiative includes public events, therapeutic sessions, professional training, and youth-focused activities, all designed to break down stigma and strengthen local support networks. The first event took place on Friday, 9 October at 5 p.m. with "Flors per la Salut Mental" (Flowers for Mental Health), a community planting activity held in the green space of the Women's Information and Advisory Service (SIAD). Organised by members of the DinamiCS Social Club with support from Tulipmania, the event marked the official start of the campaign.
Therapeutic spaces and professional training open to the public
A central part of the programme is "Obrint espais, obrint mirades" (Opening spaces, opening perspectives), led by the Community Rehabilitation Service of Cerdanyola at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu. This initiative opens free therapeutic sessions in yoga, music therapy, and bodily well-being to the general public. Sessions will be held at various city facilities, including YogaOne Cerdanyola, the Community Rehabilitation Service on Avinguda Adam i Eva, and the Fontetes Civic Centre. Professionals working with young people will also take part in a session on 21 October from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. focused on early detection and support for emotional distress in pre-adolescent, adolescent, and young populations. Meanwhile, first-year A-level students from the Gorgs and Jaume Mimó institutes will attend anxiety workshops as part of the youth outreach effort.
The meeting aims to strengthen coordination among the different stakeholders working in mental health in Cerdanyola and to highlight the importance of community and network work in preventing, detecting, and supporting situations of emotional distress.
Key conference and public events scheduled
The III Cerdanyola Mental Health Conference will take place on Tuesday, 14 October at the Clara Campoamor Hall in Can Serraperera Manor, from 8:50 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organised by the City Council's Health Promotion Service and the Cerdanyola Mental Health Commission, the conference will address current challenges including new patterns in drug use, suicide prevention, and mutual support strategies. Community projects such as "Fem Pinya" and the REBEC network will be showcased for their role in emotional well-being. Other public events include the participatory conference "Viure cansats" (Living tired), scheduled for 26 October, and "Creem una farmaciola natural" (Let's create a natural first-aid kit) on 20 October at 6:30 p.m., led by pharmacist and complementary therapies expert Joan Duran Batet. This session, aimed at adults, will cover tools for emotional self-regulation. Registration opens on 13 October at 8 p.m. via the library website. Some activities originally planned for the Central Library and Enric Granados Hall have been postponed, with new dates and venues to be announced by the City Council.
Literary cycle to close the programme
The programme will conclude with the "Cafè amb Lletres" (Coffee with Letters) literary cycle, which joins the Mental Health Month initiative. Author Oriol Mitjà will present his book "On neix la llum. Relat de la meva depressió. De la fragilitat a la resiliència" (Where light is born. Account of my depression. From fragility to resilience) on 17 December. Further details on the full literary programme are available via Tot Cerdanyola.
Reported by cerdanyola.cat, blues.cerdanyola.cat, cerdanyola.info, totcerdanyola.cat, bibliotecacerdanyola.cat, Cerdanyola del Vallès.
