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TOMORROW, Oct 10, is the annual World Mental Health Day, as declared by the World Health Organisation.

The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015 by the Health Ministry reported that mental health problems among adults aged 16 and above have increased from 10.7 per cent in 1996 to 29.2 per cent in 2015 and this includes university students.

International Islamic University Malaysia Psychology Department senior lecturer and clinical psychologist Dr Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom said that research has not found a single cause for this occurrence.

“However, studies have identified several risk factors which include having problems adjusting to the transition from school to university.

“The transition can impact a student’s well-being. They may not be fully prepared to lead an independent life at undergraduate level.”

Sunway University Psychology Department head and clinical psychologist Associate Professor Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon said that from his experience, students have trouble adapting.

“There is lack of resilience among students in coping with the demands of tertiary education.

“At the undergraduate level, there is a lot more focus on independent study, innovative problem-solving and personal organisation. They may not have the adequate groundwork prior to entering university,” said Ng.

Jamilah added: “Dysfunctional families and traumatic life events also contribute to this issue. For example, coming from an abusive family, or being a victim of physical, mental and sexual abuse can have a long-term effect on mental health.

“Disorders can also develop in university due to physical inactivity. Being highly studious and exempting oneself from physical activities can lead to stress and worsen mental health,” she said.

To strengthen the mental well-being of university students, it is important for the campus community to be educated, dispel the stigma and support each other.

STIGMA

Due to the stigmatisation of mentally-ill persons, many often stay in the shadows and are afraid to seek help.

Jamilah said: “We can see patterns of disorders increasing among students. The stigma is one of the reasons why people do not come forward and choose to ignore the symptoms or go to alternative healers first to be treated. They view psychologists and psychiatrists as a last resort.”

Sunway Peer Counselling Volunteers president and Psychology student Jayashan Chinatamy, 21, noted the severity of mental health disorders and suicidal ideation in recent times.

“There is a causal relationship between stigma and suicide in addition to the prevalence of mental health disorders.

“While the youth are more aware about mental health in comparison to the past, many still do not seek help or utilise available resources due to this stigma that has developed into a cultural taboo,” said Jayashan.

IIUM Secretariat of Psychology president Eusoff Fitri Sarnin, 24, said that from a young age, Malaysians are taught that mental illness is unacceptable.

“As the negative perception increases, those with mental disorder symptoms are left feeling ashamed for fear of being judged.”

SIGNS

A good support system is important in battling mental illness. For most university students, the ones closest to them are their friends.

Ng, who is also a WHO Malaysia Office mental health consultant, said that there are several warning signs that students can look for to help their friends.

He said: “Signs of mental health issues include social isolation, change in eating or sleep patterns, difficulties with concentration, generally low mood and having difficulty enjoying activities that they typically enjoy.

“Students can help by checking in on their friends and asking if they are all right. It has been found that normalising the distress — by letting them know that it’s okay to be that way — can help.”

Acceptance is key, according to Ng.

“We help first by not downplaying their distress. It’s important to let them know that we accept them the way they are. Just be a friend — you don’t necessarily have to entertain or talk. Just be with them.

“Often they will feel that they are a burden to others so you need to assure them that you’re there to help willingly and that it’s okay to be helped. You can also suggest that they seek the help of a specialist.

“For those who are struggling, remember that when you need help, allow others to help you,” said Ng.

Shutting people out is another warning sign, Jamilah added.

“Those will mental illnesses usually push people away. These include acquaintances, friends and family.

“Students should be observant if their friends utter statements such as ‘there’s no point in life’ or ‘I don’t want to live anymore’.

“Listen when people talk about their problems and suicide. Don’t invalidate their feelings or give unsolicited advice. Just hear them out.

“Do not be judgemental. Being a human being, it’s normal to be vulnerable,” she added.

PEER SUPPORT

An IIUM fourth-year student, who wishes to only be known as Kamilah, said she was diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder.

“To cope, I take medicine at night. During the day, I do deep breathing and mindfulness exercises.”

Kamilah said that peer support is important especially for students who live far from home.

“I usually share my thoughts with family and a few friends. However, most of my friends do not really understand mental illness. Some think that depression is just normal sadness.

“I choose my friends carefully because if I share my problems with a person who is judgemental and has low understanding on mental health, it will only worsen my condition.”

Eusoff Fitri said peer support can be effective but it requires proper training and awareness.

Having recently completed his internship with the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Medical Centre psychiatric ward, he recounted his experience: “During my stint there, I met a university student with social anxiety and suicidal tendencies. As an intern and psychology student, I participated in giving support and motivation. But I cannot give professional advice.

”Having someone to talk to when you have a problem helps.”

At Sunway University, Peer Counselling Volunteers (PCV) is a student body under the guidance of the Sunway Counselling and Wellness department.

Jayashan said: “We act as a peer support network on campus. Our members are trained by professional Sunway counsellors.

We organise events centred on different aspects of mental health, such as positivity, self-care and suicide prevention.”

The purpose of peer counselling is to establish a support network that is approachable.

“We remain impartial to all our peers and focus on empathising, validating and supporting these students in the place of problem-solving.

“We try our best to help and guide them in overcoming their mental health challenges. Through our efforts, we hope to reduce the stigma associated with mental health.”

In terms of peer counselling, Jayashan said the PCV members act as listeners.

“Any Sunway University students can become PCV members. They undergo Personal Development sessions to better understand themselves and the importance of perspective in peer counselling.”

PCV offers both an online platform and a face-to-face counselling session to students.

“Through the online anonymous platform known as Peer-to-Peer, students can write in to us regarding the challenges that they are facing and how they are affected.

“We will provide a detailed reply within three to five working days after consulting the P2P team, led by counsellors from Student LIFE, the student service centre.”

If the online platform is not helpful enough, students can also schedule an appointment with the peer counsellors.

“Each session is conducted by two peer counsellors. Feedback has been positive, with many saying that they felt better after the sessions.”

However, Jayashan pointed out that peer counselling is not a substitute for professional help.

“Some students may require more professional counselling or may need to be referred to a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist for diagnosis. Sunway Counselling and Wellness has affiliations with external mental health platforms and it is more than willing to give referrals.”

Ng said that it is also significant to note that supporting a friend with mental health can be draining.

“If the helper is distressed, seeing a counsellor can help. It’s important to understand that one can get affected by other people’s distress. It’s a human condition.”

RAISING AWARENESS

It takes a community to address mental illness. Hence, it is crucial to raise collective consciousness on mental health.

Supported by Subang Jaya assemblywoman Michelle Ng, Sunway University, Taylor’s University and Monash University organised the Return to Light: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Campaign last month.

PCV was the co-organiser with Sunway Counselling and Wellness and Student LIFE.

Jayashan said: “PCV’s responsibilities include facilitating the Youth Mental Health Forum. At the exhibition, we had a virtual reality activity where students learn what it’s like to suffer from schizophrenia.

“The main goal of the campaign was to increase awareness about mental health within the campus as well as with the public.

“Awareness is the first step for many youths to seek help. The campaign achieved this through workshops on active listening and peer support,” said Jayashan.

Jamilah agreed that that it is important to better educate helpers.

“For example, students need to know the difference between self-harm and suicide attempts. There are people who inflict harm on themselves because they want to feel pain or release pent-up emotions, not to stop living.

“Studies have shown that by talking openly about suicide, people will not desire to end their life. In fact, it has the opposite effect.”

Last April, Jamilah and postgraduate Psychology students also conducted a mental health screening campaign to raise awareness.

“The screening was a one-to-one process. A clinical psychology trainee first conducted a brief interview and administered psychological tests with a student.

“Then, we discussed the results with them and provided recommendations to follow up with the IIUM Counselling and Career Unit or the Psychological Service Unit.”

Another effort in spreading awareness was the #HereForYou campaign by the Secretariat of Psychology in collaboration with Befrienders, a not-for-profit organisation providing emotional support, last year.

For the campaign, they filmed a video of IIUM students who were struggling with mental illness.

Students who were diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and depression shared their personal experiences on camera.

Eusoff Fitri said: “It was difficult to get students to talk about their personal struggles. But this video helped to shed light on how anyone can be affected by mental illness.”

The IIUM Secretariat of Psychology has conducted a lot of trainings and programmes to spread awareness on mental health issues for their students.

This year, in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, the secretariat has planned a series of activities for Mental Health Week on Oct 6 to 11.

The programmes include a talk titled Fighting Against Mental Health Stigma, a mental health screening, mental health awareness training and a sharing session for those with mental illness.

Eusoff Fitri said: “The Secretariat of Psychology’s role is to provide the correct information to the university community. We aim to educate students so that they become more aware about the signs, symptoms and types of mental disorders.”

COLLECTIVE EFFORT

A concerted effort is required to address this issue of mental health among university students.

Jamilah said: “Lecturers can play a role. Before I start my class, I conduct some simple mental health-related activities.

“For example, I carry out mindful breathing and explain to students how ithese activities can help them to be more present and aware about mental health.”

“I personally hope that the university can have more clinical psychologists and counselors.”

Ng also said that more counsellors and psychologists are needed on campus.

He added that the university counselling unit should have referral platforms to external professionals.

“If it is not possible, the alternative is to empower students and staff through the PCV programme to handle the milder cases.

“There are evidence-based methods devised by WHO to train laypersons the skills to manage large-scale distress in communities. The same approach can be used within a university.

“The training can give social support to help people improve their functioning towards stronger resilience.

By Rayyan Rafidi.

Read more @ https://www.nst.com.my/education/2019/10/528298/benefits-peer-support-mental-health

By: Saila Saidie.

By: Cynthia D Baga.

THE workplace is not immune to mental health problems and their impact in psychological, social and economic terms is high.

Globally, it was reported that an estimated 264 million people suffer from depression, one of the leading causes of disability; the cost of mental illness has been estimated at US$2.5 trillion (RM10.35 trillion) in 2010 and is projected to reach US$6 trillion in 2030.

In Malaysia, there has been a three-fold increase in mental health problems among the population over the past 20 years. If we apply the same projection, than the estimated loss for Malaysia was US$10.6 billion for 2010; by 2030 it is expected to soar to US$24.3 billion.

A study conducted by the Education Ministry in 2017 also shows that 4.4 per cent or 2,123 teachers were identified as experiencing moderate stress level while civil servants also achieved an average score in the Malaysia Psychological Wellbeing Index which was conducted in August 2018.

According to the Malaysian Health System Research report (March 2016), mental illness is a leading cause of economic loss at the individual, family, employer, health system, and national levels, due to direct and indirect health costs, absenteeism, lost productivity while at work, and decreased income which can result in reduced national economic output.

When addressing participants at Malaysia’s 1st Mental Health Experiential Conference (# MyMHEC2019) in Petaling Jaya recently (June 19), I stressed that mental health at workplace should no longer be ignored as it could cost employers and the country billions of ringgit if not properly addressed.

Neglect of mental health and psychosocial factors at the workplace is not only detrimental to the individual worker but also directly affects productivity, efficiency and output of any organisation.

Accidents at workplaces are not only caused by poor work safety practices but also due to mental health issues. I have consistently raised about mental and psychosocial issues as they are also affecting workplaces.

Meal health issues at the workplace are caused by a combination of factors such as personal work, work environment and organisational factor.

Workplace stress is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope”.

There are many types of work-related stress such as job insecurity, low control in work, low social support from co-workers, dissatisfaction with work and problems associated with depression and anxiety.

Unemployment is a well-recognised risk factor for mental health problems and negative working environment may lead to physical and mental health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism and lost productivity.

Studies show that workplaces that promote mental health and support for people with mental disorders are more likely to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and benefit from associated economic gains.

More young workers nowadays are also stressed out or experiencing symptoms of stress-related illnesses such as anxiety or depression due to life experiences or environmental factors.

Struggling to cope with work, new financial commitments, family expectations and relationships are among the topics of concern for young adults.

It is not only happening here but all around the globe since the demands of living in current times are causing depression, anxiety and other mental health problems in young people.

As fresh graduates for example, it is normal for them to wish for a permanent job with a handsome salary, dream car and house but life is not always smooth sailing.

While some young working adults might soldier on amidst the trials and tribulations, others struggle with emotional and physical issues as soon as they leave university, or even before and enter the working world.

Though each generation has faced its own set of problems, dilemmas faced by young adults during present time appear to have wide-ranging social and economic implications, with a rising number being diagnosed with depression, anxiety or other mental health problems.

A healthy workplace can be described as one where workers and managers actively contribute to the working environment by promoting and protecting the health, safety and well-being of all employees.

Mental health interventions should be delivered as part of an integrated health and wellbeing strategy that covers prevention, early identification, support and rehabilitation.

Key to success is involving stakeholders and staff at all levels when providing protection, promotion and support interventions and when monitoring their effectiveness.

All parties should also strive to stop the stigmatisation of mentally ill persons who are often regarded as “orang gila” or crazy people.

Instead of insulting them, the community members should help those with mental disorders to get counselling or psychiatric treatment.

Prevention in the early stage can certainly reduce the likelihood of people with mental problems turning violent or doing extreme things including murder and committing suicide.

Family members, office colleagues and the local community should know how to identify the symptoms and ways to help those who are suffering from mental illness.

Most families, employers and co-workers are not prepared to cope with learning that their loved ones or office mates have mental illness.

As for the victims, It can be physically and emotionally trying, and can make them feel vulnerable to the opinions and judgments of others.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stressed that organisations have a responsibility to support individuals with mental disorders in either continuing or returning to work.

Soe of the initiatives that may help individuals with mental disorders include flexible hours, job-redesign, addressing negative workplace dynamics and supportive and confidential communication with the management.

Researches also show that unemployment, particularly long term unemployment, can have a detrimental impact on mental health.

Asthe country’s leading institute for occupational safety and health (OSH), NIOSH has already introduced several programmes to help employers and their staff manage mental health at the workplace apart from organising various health promotional programmes.

One of them is the mental health module, which was introduced under a collaboration with the Ministry of Health. It is part of NIOSH’s Total Wellness and Health Promotion Program (TWHP), where the employers and their employees will learn about mental health issues and adopt the best strategies to manage the problem.

It is important to know that early diagnosis and treatment greatly increases the chances of individuals affected by mental illness to regain a reasonable state of health and wellbeing and satisfying quality of life.

There is a need to implement the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which can provide both prevention and early intervention for employees affected by stress, emotional and mental health issues which jeopardise job performance.

Funds spent on EAPs have documented investment returns in such areas as productivity and work performance. Companies are finding that investing in employee’ emotional wellbeing can mean a healthier bottom line.

It was predicted that mental health problems will become the second biggest health problem affecting Malaysians after heart disease by 2020, unless proper measures are taken to address the issue.

Because of the stigma associated with mental disorders, employers need to ensure that individuals feel supported and able to ask for support in continuing with or returning to work and are provided with the necessary resources to do their job.

Article 27 of The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provides a legally-binding global framework for promoting the rights of people with disabilities (including psychosocial disabilities). It recognizes that every person with a disability has the right to work, should be treated equally and not be discriminated against, and should be provided with support in the workplace.

By TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE.

Read more @ https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2019/07/500972/early-diagnosis-and-treatment-mental-illness-increases-chances