PENAMPANG: SMK St Michael here is one of six schools in the country selected for a pilot project on the mental health of students, a member of the Mental Health Promotion Advisory Council of the Health Ministry, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, said.
The project, which was implemented in March this year, is expected to be completed by September and the findings would be handed over to the Education Minister for further action, Lee said.
Speaking to reporters after a briefing on the project named “Program Minda Sihat Menangani Stress” (Healthy Mind Program), at SMK St Michael here yesterday, Lee said it was conducted to determine the state of mental health of secondary school students by conducting mental health screening on symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.
“This was a good initiative by the Ministry of Health as a lot of mental health problems may pass unnoticed in schools. Secondary students who are detected to have severe symptoms of stress, anxiety or depression will be given appropriate interventions which include counseling and mental health coping skills,” he said.
According to Lee, the findings should enable the government to gauge the actual state of mental health among students and decide on the best course of action to address mental health issues in schools.
Among the mental health activities that can be implemented in schools include promoting mental health literacy in the school community through talks, exhibitions and quizzes that can be held as extra-curricular activities involving Parent-Teacher Association (PTAs) and school clubs.
“The issue of mental health among students must be addressed with a sense of urgency. If they do not get our help, our nation is going to be burdened with a generation suffering from serious mental health problems in an ever-increasing competitive global environment.
“We cannot deny that our examination-oriented education system has led to pressure from parents to expect their children to perform well. Even if parents say they don’t pressure their kids, children can pick up on their parents’ high expectations and in turn, set high expectations for themselves.
“When they fail, they take it badly,” he pointed out.
Lee also said that schools needed to have more trained counselors with skills and techniques to guide and help students on how to handle stress and how to cope with life situations.
He added that there was a need to instill basic self-confidence in the child so that any failures or disappointments would be seen as opportunities to try again rather than as a lack of ability and taking the road to disaster.
Lee however stressed that there was a difference between mental health and mental disorder, leading to many people having the misconception on what is meant by mental health.
Mental health, he explained, refers to a situation whereby an individual feels good about himself, feels good about others and is able to accept life challenges.
It is also a state of well-being in which a person realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with normal life stresses, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make contribution to his or her community.
“This is different from mental disorder. Poor mental health may lead to mental health problems and to some extent, mental disorders that can interfere severely with the routine daily function of any individual.
“Recently we were faced with disturbing developments involving school children. The tragedies concerned have once again highlighted the need to address the issue of mental health problems and poor mental health among Malaysians, including school students as well as the need to provide coping skills to school children.
“It is a reality which must not be overlooked or ignored in our quest to become a fully industrialized nation,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, SMK St Michael principal Marie Yong Pik Hua said 874 students of the school had been screened where they were required to answer 21 questions based on DASS (Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Skill).
“We will be getting the students, especially those in Form Three and Form Five, to answer the questionnaire again just before their examinations so we can gauge their DAS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress) level,” she said.