According to the Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, in Vietnam, the percentage of people having 10 common mental disorders is 14.9% of the population – meaning that approximately 15 out of every 100 people have mental health problems. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a global mental health crisis, exacerbating both short and long-term stress and destroying the mental health of millions.
Having aware of this situation, as well as understanding the stressful environment when having to take exams, study and keep up with social connections of students, the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) has organized a practical seminar with the topic of ” Enhancing the ability to identify and take care of mental health” for students and learners from all departments at UEH University. With the guidance of Dr. Pham Minh Triet – Ph.D. student at the School of Psychological Research – Australian National University, students and learners can understand and distinguish psychological and psychiatric concepts as well as get acquainted with some initial psychological instabilities from the beginning.
Dr. Pham Minh Triet turned psychological conditions into a much simpler, more accessible concept for students and learners – traffic lights. There are color levels from green to yellow and finally red that represent mental status that ranges from calm, relaxed to very abnormal and unable to do anything. Just like when going out on the street, you should only “run” when the light is green. When it turns yellow, it might be time to slow down and reconsider your mental health. Finally, when you reach red, it is time to stop. This is a concept that students should be familiar with to understand and care for their own health as well as seek help and attention when needed.
Color shades that show the psychological state of people
The speaker also mentioned the rate of common health problems among Vietnamese students taken from a survey in 2016, nearly 70% of interviewed students claimed to have problems with anxiety disorders, much higher than the social average rate of 14.9%. Students and learners participating in the seminar were also enriched with knowledge about the behaviors of the body when stressed, the causes of stress and analyzed two types of good stress (Eustress) and bad stress (Distress) that often occur through very common situations in daily life such as: conflicts with roommates, troubles with parents, deteriorating health, unsatisfactory grades, etc.
On top of that, attendees also have access to the term “specific fear disorder” of objects or special situations such as snakes or heights. The speaker also provided practical examples for attendees to analyze and better understand their condition and symptoms. After the presentation, participants actively took part in answering interactive questions and were thoroughly answered by speaker about issues that learners are interested in.
The seminar has successfully ended and received a lot of attention from UEH learners who are having concerns about psychological and mental health. The seminar lasted more than two hours with a professional, focused and interactive atmosphere from students and learners. Attendees were also given practical and brief reminders from Dr. Pham Minh Triet to summarize the presentation and help people take better care of themselves not only physically but also mentally.
Simple preventive actions that learners can practice every day.
The workshop created a safe and supportive environment where students can learn and develop skills in identifying basic mental health issues, as well as knowing how to take care for themself and others, spot out mental health factors, risks and seek for appropriate solutions. In the future, DSA will reach out to experts and organize more events of many fields so as to accompany students in developing comprehensively on their journey at UEH.
News, photos: Department of Student Affairs UEH