The Department of Psychology in collaboration with the Department of Education and Centre of Counselling, Martin Luther Christian University Shillong organised a programme at Nongstoiñ College yesterday to observe the World Mental Health Day.
The programme focused on mental health in an educational setting highlighting that the environment at home or school which serves as an important factor that contributes to the health and well-being of all individuals as they are responsible to promote and optimize the physical, social and also the mental health of students.
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a global crisis for mental health, fuelling short- and long-term stresses and undermining the mental health of millions. These emerging challenges have necessitated that the schools also shift the focus to the psychosocial needs of students and take care of the overall wellbeing, because early Identification and Prevention can essentially create safe ecosystems where students can thrive. Most children and teenagers spend about six to seven hours of their everyday lives in school; therefore, it plays critical roles in addressing and fostering positive mental health and helping children with psychological problems.
As a part of the World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2022 with the theme “Make Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority”, which signifies that mental health should be one’s priority and each individual should take care of themselves.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Porsara M J Kharbhih and facilitation of the Principal of Nongstoiñ College Dr. Iaisan Mawthoh followed by her welcoming speech.
The first session began with a song by the students of the Education Department followed by an awareness meeting on mental health, its importance, introduction to mental illness, factors contributing to mental illness and its warning signs.
The second session incorporated coping strategies-ways to take care of mental health, orienting on help seeking behaviour, portraying stigma through a skit by the students of Psychology Department and lastly on mental health services.
The programme aims to spread awareness regarding mental health, to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and to promote mental health and well-being in order to strengthen its capacity as a healthy environment for living and learning.
The purpose is also not only for long term goal relationships between institutions and future opportunities or to educate the mass about mental health, but to build a self-sustaining environment that caters to the emotional and mental need of each individuals and as an opportunity for all to come together to recognise progress in this field and to be vocal about what we need to do to ensure mental health and well-being becomes a global priority for all. The programme ended with a note that mental health needs more sunlight and unashamed conversations.
