Suicide, as the ultimate expression of suicidal ideation, has accompanied human beings throughout history within specific social and cultural contexts. However, in recent decades the increase in suicides, especially in developed countries after the Second Demographic Transition and the rise of postmaterialist values, has been increasing in the youth population. This study is created from a quantitative perspective and aims to determine the predictors of suicidal ideation in university students in Spain. The fieldwork was carried out in a large sample of Spanish universities over several weeks in 2022, with the participation of hundreds of university students (n = 1472). The predictors of suicidal ideation were gender, types of social relationships, history of bullying, health status, taking antidepressant medication, increased anxiety after COVID-19, economic difficulties in continuing studies, and perspective on their future. The results highlight the need for the greater involvement of universities by establishing programs for preventing, detecting, and treating suicidal ideation, always in coordination with health systems to prevent further suicides in their university community.

This research aimed to analyze the perception of conflict in universities and the ways of dealing with it in relation to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The research was developed from a quantitative approach in three universities in two European countries: the University of Murcia and Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) and University of Minho (Portugal). The sample consisted of 247 university students and the technique used was an ad hoc survey administered online. Among the main research results we can highlight that (a) the perception of conflict is mostly negative; (b) there are predictive variables in the positive view of conflict; and (c) university students clearly identify the peaceful resolution of conflicts with some of the Sustainable Development Goals. The main conclusions are that conflict is inherent to any organization and the university must be sensitive to the conflicts that occur within it. It is therefore necessary to create intra-university mediation services as a conflict resolution resource for the entire university community. Training and a positive view of conflict favors the construction of a citizenry capable of dialogue and of resolving the conflicts that arise in their adult life.

This exploratory study is part of the training and innovation project (GID2016-16) of the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in Spain. The current socioeconomic and educational contexts derived from COVID-19 has led university institutions to develop methodological innovations in the teaching-learning process. Among these strengthening measures are the MOOCs, the most appropriate strategy to bring students closer to new digital platforms that favor the acquisition of knowledge. A methodological pluralism, combining quantitative and qualitative perspectives, has been used. The main results of the descriptive analysis compare the data of students enrolled in the MOOC, “Social and Health Care and Social Services in Social Work”, and other related bachelor’s and master’s degree courses during the four years analyzed. One of the conclusions is the emerging possibility of offering university studies that are more in line with the current teleworking market. The development of online methodologies favors the democratization of education, reaching the student body as a whole and universalizing content and learning. Among the main conclusions, it is worth highlighting the degree of satisfaction shown by the students who took advantage of the MOOC, and the training opportunities afforded by MOOC courses, during the time of COVID-19.

There is a social and cultural problem related to suicide in advanced societies. From a professional point of view, social workers intervene to achieve social welfare and health for the people with whom they work without being exempt from suffering suicidal ideation themselves. The present research aims to analyze suicidal ideation in undergraduate students of Social Work. Through a quantitative methodology, this phenomenon is analyzed in a large sample of students belonging to Spanish universities (n=1005). In the statistical study, a frequency analysis, a cross-table analysis, and a binary logistic regression are developed, taking as reference the dependent variable: the risk of suicidal ideation. The predictor variables of suicidal risk are: sex, type of social relationships, bullying in previous stages, consumption of antidepressant medication, increased anxiety after COVID-19, and economic difficulties in continuing studies. Universities should not be oblivious to the problems of their students but should incorporate specific programs for the treatment and prevention of suicidal risk, promoting quality education about the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

This pioneering study in Spain in this specific area of knowledge, social work and social services, is framed around the incorporation of Virtual Reality (VR) in the social work teaching-learning process using 360º videos during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owing to the impossibility of face-to-face interaction, in order to put theory into practice, a VR simulation application—the Innovation Social Work App (iSWAPP) – was developed (intellectual property registration number 04/2021/491). In order to study the factors that determine the predisposition of social work students to use VR as a complementary pedagogical tool in the theory-practice learning process to acquire professional skills, a quantitative analysis was performed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study was performed in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic with a sample comprising 42 social work undergraduates at the University of Cádiz. The most significant results were the opportunities and potential of VR in the teaching-learning process, especially in teaching practice. The conclusions of the study show that 360° VR enables progress to be made in response to the structural need to build positive bidirectional synergies between theory and practice in social work in order to improve the quality of professional intervention.

Mediation can approximate opposing positions and reach agreements that offer viable solutions for the problems posed by parties. The favorable results, the statements of the professionals and the welfare of the parties who participate in it are some of the reasons for its growth. Its fields of action are diverse, creating a space where the protagonists solve their problems and transform their relationships without having to resort to lengthy and costly legal processes to reach valid agreements. Mediation allows to dejudicialize health care and improve the relationships that are created in all its services. Its implantation in health organizations will favor a more humanized attention by eliminating conflicts, thus elevating the quality and degree of well-being of all the professionals who participate.