NUS celebrates World Mental Health Day 2007

Jason Hau Hanwen | jasonhau@nus.edu.sg
the ridge News
A NUSSU Publication

15 October 2007

Associating the term “mental illness” with images of straitjacketed patients in foam-walled rooms is a wrong stigma.

And it should be eradicated.

Hence, the National University of Singapore’s University Health, Wellness and Counselling Centre has organized a series of events leading to the World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 to educate the public and “de-stigmatize mental illness.”

Senior Counsellor Dr. Kabita Roy hopes that by promoting understanding and education on mental-related problems, more individuals with mental health issues will be able to seek help earlier.

Roy emphasised the fact that education is ongoing and never-ending. She cited events such as the World Mental Health Day and Suicide Prevention Day held for the NUS community as examples of their continuous effort.

Porsche Poh from the Silver Ribbon and four NUS students helped the Centre organize these events which included an art exhibition, and a movie screening.

The Center also offered an online mental health test via mass emails sent on Oct. 4 and 5.

In addition, the art exhibition was held in the NUS Central Library featuring work from artists who suffer from various forms of mental illnesses.

However, the perceived impact made on students remains minimal. the ridge observed that many students either walked straight past the exhibition without a second glance or did not even go to the library.

Christina Lacey, an exchange student from Georgia Tech, belongs to the latter group.

“I would have loved to have seen it, but I missed the email because I mistook it for junk mail. More visibility around the campus would have been nice,” she told the ridge.

Her point was echoed by Loo Bo Wen, a second-year arts and social sciences undergraduate.

“I missed the emails and the paintings in the library, he said, “however, I think that even if I had seen it, I would not have understood what it was all about and its purpose.”

World Mental Health Day is a global mental health education, awareness and advocacy project of World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.