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Mental health awareness improves quality of life

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Peter speaks during the Webinar

KUCHING: Mental health awareness and educating the public about mental health issues are crucial in order to improve perception and attitude towards those who have mental illnesses.

Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) Administrative officer Peter Martin asserted that thorough understanding can contribute towards improving the quality of life for people with mental illness.

“Mental health awareness is important for people of all ages in dealing with difficult situations, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is essential in all phases of life as it is the foundation for all important aspects such as thinking, learning, communication, resilience, and self-confidence,” he said during the second series of webinar on ‘Prompting Community’s Resilience Against Covid-19 Pandemic’ organised by DBKU on Thursday (Aug 26).

He revealed that a total of 201,293 calls on mental health issues have been received by relevant parties as of August 22 this year.

“Eighty-three percent of these calls were from people who need serious emotional and psychological care, as well as immediate counselling due to vaccine anxiety stress and Covid-19 infection,” he remarked.

Peter who is a registered counsellor with the Malaysian Board of Counsellors, urged the people to eliminate the social stigma associated with mental illness.

“Do not isolate individuals with mental health issues as it can be treated. When faced with these issues, family members can participate in the ‘LAH’ (Listen, Ask, Help) method to help them out,” he said.

When asked for tips on tackling mental health issues, he advised to reach out to the mental health assistance and services such as Befrienders, MoH, and the Kasih teleline of the social welfare department (JKM).

“Other than getting professional help, the public can also utilise free screening on mental health status through DASS21 (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales) as well as practising breathing techniques available on an online platform such as Youtube and many more,” he added.

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