InclusionX connects students to psychiatrists
InclusionX is a social organisation that intends to support people with mental and physical disabilities. Since its inception in 2015, the organisation has been dedicated to the areas of mental health services, inclusive computer education and arts and promotion of sexual and reproductive health for persons with disabilities.
As a part of their regular activities, InclusionX paid visits to schools and conducted several workshops on mental health. They have extended support and resources to over 2,000 high school students during 2019 and 2020.
The organisation has recently launched a video series called 'Students Ask A Psychiatrist', through which they are facilitating conversations around mental health while connecting people to the right resources for help. This project is funded by EMK Centre. The pandemic has been harsh on everyone's mental health and with exams being either cancelled or suspended, there was an air of uncertainty everywhere. As weeks passed by, the frustration and anxiety among students spiked. The series was therefore intended to elevate these problems, in its initial phase. "During this time, psychiatrists were invited to many live sessions and they often tackled the same set of questions. The content was shallow and we wanted to delve into more specific topics, irrespective of the taboos associated with them," added Labib Tazwar Rahman, founder, InclusionX.
The youth are at high risk of mental health diseases. Suicide rates are alarmingly high and reports suggest that one in every four people are dealing with mental health issues. Through a short survey, InclusionX reached out to students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and collected their questions, which were then answered during the live sessions. They have released 12 videos, as of this writing, and plan to launch 20 more in the future.
During their first episode, five students interacted with Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, asking questions related to the various problems faced by the youth while adapting to the new normal. The second episode provided insights on ways of socialising distantly and ways of maintaining a healthy relationship with friends and relatives. "The psychiatrist also answered questions on how to avoid conflicts with family members and emphasised on the need for effective time management skills in order to enjoy some personal time," shared Turza Saha, Head of Strategy, Mental Health Team.
The third episode discussed the importance of social media management to avoid panic and shared tips to help students increase their productivity. During the fourth episode, the psychiatrist advised students to stay calm and cultivate a positive attitude regarding the future. "He also discussed the significance of communicating about our mental health issues with friends and family for our overall well being and shared ways to be compassionate and support each other in this time of crisis", added Farzana Sadia, Head of Personnel, Mental Health Team.
The fifth video dealt with anger management. Dr. Sifat-E-Syed outlined that although it is common to feel angry, one must learn to admit and restrain it. Through the sixth episode, she addressed stress management and shed light on that fact that stress is not always negative. The seventh episode was a Q/A session on anger management and the eighth episode continued the discussion on stress management. "She suggested two types of adaptive ways - problem solving strategy and emotion reducing strategy and ruled out any other maladaptive way", added Iftikhar Mahmud, Director of Operations, InclusionX.
The ninth episode focused on children with special needs as the doctor answered some questions from the parents of InclusionX's students regarding how difficult it has become to take care of children with special needs in this pandemic. The tenth episode was an extension where the doctor attempted to define and understand children with special needs, while addressing the stigmas and myths surrounding them.
Through the eleventh episode, Dr. Sifat-E-Syed talked about what depression is and what are its symptoms and causes. She also discussed the difference between grief and depression. Finally, the twelfth episode shared ways to converse with a depressed individual to avoid triggers. "She also elucidated how COVID-19 has made many of us vulnerable to depression and how we should fight against it", added Labib.
All these videos are available on InclusionX's Facebook page. Their team further plans to release multiple posters and write-ups to mark World Mental Health Day.
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