Mental health drive held at KU in which students spoke about mental health illnesses, coping mechanisms
KARACHI: Few days ago, the University of Karachi held a mental health awareness drive on its premises, organised by the Psychology Department of the university. The drive aimed at making students aware of the importance of mental health. The final year students of the organising department went to different departments of the varsity and spoke to a number of students about mental illnesses, such as depression and different coping mechanisms.
While it is a great initiative which should also motivate other universities to hold similar drives, it is important to note that university going students, especially ones going to a university like KU that constitutes students coming from different economic backgrounds, are vulnerable to mental illnesses. Considering their impressionable minds and vulnerability, it is advisable that these students are not only made aware about mental health illnesses but also encouraged to seek help if needed.
The university already has a student counselor but more often than not, it is noticed that students are not aware of his/her existence. Hence, such a drive should also be held during orientations of new students at the starting of each academic year.
Mohammad Qasim
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2018.
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