Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound
impact of global crises on mental health, amplifying
existing inequalities across race, ethnicity, gender, and
socioeconomic status. The 2021 World Mental Health
Day campaign, themed ‘Mental Health in an Unequal
World,’ seeks to address these disparities, advocating for
universal access to mental health services regardless of
background or location.
Project aim: In alignment with this, Health and
Wellbeing (HWB) Cluster of IKRAM United Kingdom
& Eire (IKRAM UKE) has taken an initiative to organise
a symposium, aiming to increase awareness on mental
health among Malaysians, in particular those who are
living abroad in UK and Ireland. This symposium served
as a dynamic platform for renowned experts to illuminate
critical mental health issues, promote a culture of
discussion, and equipping participants with knowledge
and practical skills for mental wellbeing.
Methodology: Held virtually via Zoom and live
streamed on Facebook, the symposium was structured
into three targeted sessions catering to diverse audience
groups within the Malaysian community. A forum
focusing on perinatal mental health was conducted at the
beginning of the event, uniting medical experts and
experienced mothers to discuss emotional wellbeing
during this crucial period. The subsequent session, titled
‘Raising Our Young Minds,’ delved into effective
parental strategies for nurturing children’s emotional
development. Recognizing that students constitute a
substantial segment of the Malaysian community abroad, we introduced practical methods such as mindfulness and
art therapy to foster mental health wellbeing.
The symposium garnered significant global participation.
Analysis of collected feedback indicated high satisfaction
levels, with nearly half of respondents expressing
extreme satisfaction (48.9%) and the rest rated as very
satisfied (46.2%). More than half of participants highly
recommended the event to their peers.
Conclusion: Mental Health Symposium 2021 (MHS
2021) epitomized a pioneering effort by the Health &
Wellbeing Cluster of IKRAM UKE to promote the
holistic message of health, with a specific focus on
empowering mental wellbeing among Malaysian
community living across borders. The overwhelmingly
positive feedback underscores the program’s success in
advancing its mission.
References
- Lombardo C, Guo L, Solomon S, Crepaz-Keay
D, McDaid S, Thorpe L, et al. Inequalities and
mental health during the Coronavirus pandemic
in the UK: a mixed-methods exploration
[Internet]. BMC Public Health. 2023 [cited 2024
May 28]. Available from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC
10510114/
