Background: Psychological Care Centers (PCC) that are part of Chilean public Universities provide free or low-cost, high-quality services to thousands of people each year through clinical, psychoeducational, and community interventions tailored to local realities. PCCs act as primary mental health care facilities not formally covered by the public health system, helping to relieve some congestion in the healthcare network. Hence, these centers are seen as a tangible expression of the commitment of the public higher-education institutions with the wellbeing of the community. However, results regarding internal functioning or effectiveness in the delivery of their services are yet to be studied or socialized.
Aim: To characterize the services provided by PCCs in different regions of Chile in the areas of clinical work, continuous education and community engagement.
Methods: Data from 8 PCC from different regions of Chile will be collected. These data will include variables regarding three key areas: clinical work (duration of treatment, treatment modality, adherence rate, number of patients and sessions per patient), continuous education (development of courses and professional training) and community engagement (development of open activities for the community). These variables will be analyzed with descriptive statistics.
Results: Results are expected to be obtained in detail in October 2025. Given the lack of a unified protocol for PCC functioning, we are expecting to find positive yet heterogeneous results among these centers in the three key areas.
Conclusions: This empirical work, based on the analysis of the annual reports of eight care centers, demonstrates their substantive contribution as professional training spaces with an ethical and social conscience, and as a key support network for collective well-being. PCCs play a strategic role bridging academia, mental health professionals and the public, providing concrete evidence of the impact of public Universities on their environment.