SIBU: A workshop on “Mental Health Awareness” was attended by 40 college students from the Methodist Pilley Institute (MPI) here yesterday.
The event was organised by the Mental Health Association Sibu Branch (MHASB). The keynote speakers were Sibu General Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health head, Dr Wong Siong Teck and psychiatrist Dr Hii Kae Lih.
Dr Wong covered topics on maintaining good mental health: stress management and coping skills and relaxing techniques, while Dr Hii spoke on mental health issues and mental disorders: where to seek for help.
In the opening speech, MPI principal Hii King Kai said college life can be fun and filled with new experiences, friendships and opportunities.
However, he pointed out, it can also be overwhelming at times, with academic pressures, social challenges and personal struggles taking a toll in a student’s life.
“In the midst of these challenges, to most students, especially during exam period or time to submit assignments, we wonder if we have slipped into depression.”
“It is important that we need to learn to cope with this swing of emotional state, and to learn to differentiate a mood swing from more serious medical conditions that would require medical intervention,” he added.
“The workshop is not just about raising awareness but about equipping ourselves with the knowledge and tools to navigate the complexities of mental health, and more importantly, how to cope and manage our response towards stress so that we don’t get trapped in the vicious down spiral which leads to severe depression or even mental illness,” he said.
Emphasising that mental health is equally important as physical health, he stressed that there was no shame in asking for help, and reaching out was the first step towards healing.
Hii advised college students should prioritise their mental health, by not only safeguarding their own well-being but also set out an example to those around them.
“Together, we can create a culture of openness, empathy and support where mental health is recognised, valued and prioritised.
Also present was MHASB chairman, Kapitan So Teck Kee.
