Faculty of Education at Al-Qadisiyah University held a symposium entitled “Family and Educational Integration in Promoting Mental Health and Reducing Drug Abuse”

Under the patronage of the respected President of Al-Qadisiyah University, Dr. Rahi Kalaf Al-Yasiri, and under the supervision of Dean of Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Sattar Hameed Hamza Al-Janabi, the Psychological Counseling and Educational Guidance Unit at the Faculty of Education at Al-Qadisiyah University organized an awarenesssymposium entitled “Family and Educational Integration in Promoting Mental Health and Reducing Drug Abuse” on Sunday, November 16, 2025, as part of the activities of the Iraqi Anti-Drug Week Program for 2025.

Third-year students in the History Department’s morning attended the symposium which was presented by Assistant Lecturer Ali Qasim Hammadi, who addressed a number of topics related to mental health and its important role in the university students lives. He emphasized the importance of family support for psychological stability and monitoring children’s daily behavior, which contributes to reducing substance abuse and addiction.

The symposium also touched on the educational role of educational institutions as a supportive environment that provides guidance and follow-up and contributes to developing common sense and decision-making skills for students, thereby protecting them from drifting toward dangerous behaviors.

The lecturer also discussed the family and social factors that influence drug abuse, including poor family communication, family breakdown, and academic and social pressures, in addition to reviewing the most prominent types of psychoactive substances prevalent among young people and their psychological and behavioral effects. He emphasized that integration between family and university is the cornerstone of building an effective preventive system that protects students from risks that may threaten their academic and social future.

At the end of the symposium, a set of recommendations were issued, most notably:

Strengthening communication between families and universities to monitor students’ psychological and academic behavior.

Activating awareness programs and workshops in scientific departments in line with the national strategy to combat drugs.

Intensifying psychological counseling services to help students cope with daily pressures.

Spreading a culture of health and behavioral awareness and encouraging students to adopt positive lifestyles.

Supporting the role of educational institutions in monitoring abnormal behaviors and referring them to the competent authorities for follow-up.