‘Hello, we can’ do it
IMMEDIATE intervention must be introduced to help young adults cope with their declining mental health amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Higher education institution students, particularly those aged between 18 and 25, are challenged by the pandemic in many ways, said University Malaya Specialist Centre (UMSC) consultant psychiatrist Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin.
“Employers and the government have put many initiatives in place to support working adults, and help improve their mental health and productivity during this trying period.
“But what about students? They are not spared the effects of the pandemic.
“For those about to embark on their tertiary education, the traditional university experience is non-existent, especially with online teaching and learning.
“For those working their way towards graduation, delays in the exams and the challenging learning environment have been extremely disruptive to their studies,” he said, adding that the lack of mingling and networking further hampers their ability to cope with the pandemic.
He said fresh graduates are also finding it tough in the job market.
“All these challenges affect a young person’s mental health yet there is very little talk on the topic, and even less targeted activities being carried out.
“This needs to change if we are to prevent long-term problems in our youths.
“We need more initiatives to ensure the mental health and well-being of everyone – including young adults – are protected as we navigate not only a Covid-19 pandemic, but also the hidden and equally devastating mental health pandemic,” said Dr Amer Siddiq, who is also the director of the Community and Sustainability Centre at Universiti Malaya (Umcares) – one of the beneficiaries of the Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) “Hello, We Can!” campaign to create mental health awareness through crowd-sourced content created by Malaysians, for Malaysians.
The campaign, which also benefits the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), Befrienders Malaysia, and the Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA), will see RM10 being channelled into a donation pool with every positive post shared using the hashtag #Hellowecan.
The donations will help fund each of these organisations’ mental health initiatives including the operation of crisis helplines, psychosocial therapy and capital building activities.
From inspirational postcards to videos on how to manage one’s mental health, the campaign encourages Malaysians to share positive, motivational content on social media platforms.
The goal is to propagate a wealth of well-wishes, words of encouragement and more through videos and photos, which users can browse and peruse in the hopes of lifting their spirits and improving their mental well-being.
GSC chief executive officer Koh Mei Lee said Malaysians have spent close to a year and a half in lockdown and it has taken a toll on their mental health.
“We are seeing rising cases of depression and self-harm. While some have been able to cope, others are feeling fatigued, burned out and frustrated,” she said in a press release on July 28.
Campaign participants stand to win prizes worth RM38,000. The first 20,000 participants will also walk away with Grabmart promo codes worth RM10.
For details on how to participate, log on to gsc.com.my/ main/hello-we-can.
The campaign ends on Aug 31.