UNICEF’s 2021 #OnMyMind report, has an urgent and strong call to action for organisations to be more proactive in raising the profile of mental health and well-being and challenging the stigma around the topic.
Teenagers have been particularly affected by the disruption to education, especially in relation to examinations. Unfortunately, data collected pre-pandemic presented a poor picture in relation to Malaysian teenagers and mental well-being. In the 2018 PISA survey conducted by the OECD, it was found that Malaysian students were unhappier, feared failure and reported being bullied more than the international average.*
But what can parents do about this? The teenage years can be a challenging time under the most normal of circumstances, and parents need to seek support if they are struggling. UNICEF produced this useful guide for parents to help support teenagers’ mental health: https://www.unicef.org/parenting/health/four-things-you-can-do-support-your-teens-mental-health
As a society, we need to take urgent action to address these issues and support teachers and parents to safeguard our children's well-being. No one should deal with mental health challenges alone but starting the conversation can be hard. UNICEF has produced this very useful guide to help parents start a conversation with their children: https://www.unicef.org/mental-health-on-my-mind
We are excited to announce that last month, LeapEd’s Mental Health Literacy programme was a winner in the MyUNICEF Impact Challenge and is now moving to the second phase of the Social Impact Challenge Accelerator (SICA) organised by the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC). Our innovative intervention aims to target mental health literacy amongst teachers, ensuring that they have the skills to help the young people in their care. If you would like to find out more about how LeapEd can work with your organisation on Child Protection and Safeguarding or Mental Health Literacy for Educators, please do get in touch via https://www.leapedservices.com/our-services/child-protection-safeguarding/
Reference:
* https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_MYS.pdf