PETALING JAYA: Sixteen family medical doctors from the Malaysian Ireland National Training Programme for Family Medicine kicked off the #beMINDful campaign in local schools recently to raise awareness on mental health. The programme is under the direction of NobelDr, a doctor-led NGO.
#beMINDful is a project in collaboration with MyWipHealing (a community platform that promotes mental health awareness) and clinical psychologists from UCSI University that aims to guide youth on healthy ways to deal with stress, grounding techniques and how to be mindful.
Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Gombak administrative and curriculum senior assistant Shahariah Ismail said the school was selected as the first to kickstart the campaign, in which 122 Form Three students participated.
“Students at this school are under a lot of pressure as the people around them have high expectations for their academic results and it affects them a lot mentally. We appreciate NobleDr reaching out to us, as high-performing schools tend to be neglected as the public assumes everything is perfect. The #beMINDful campaign is just what we needed.”
NobleDr founder Dr Syazana Ali said: “After two years without physical education classes due to Covid-19, students have to confront a significant number of challenges. At a young age, it is crucial to educate them about the importance of physical and mental health and to guide and prepare them for adulthood.”
She said NobleDr’s goal is to help underserved communities get better healthcare by making them more aware and teaching them about it.
She added that this initiative is supported by the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health, a place where public and private entities and NGOs can share information and work together to coordinate mental health services.
“Besides physical health, it is also important to make mental health a priority. NobleDr’s objectives are to boost awareness about mental health, provide a safe space to talk about the topic and get more people to feel comfortable speaking up about their mental health issues and seek help.
“Mental health is an important yet often overlooked aspect of wellbeing, and it is crucial to have an open and supportive environment when discussing such matters.”
For more information, please visit nobledr.org.
