Alarmed by seeing a rise in mental health issues among their peers, a group of students has stepped up to form a peer support group for youths in need.
Already a year old, the initiative Solace Haven started as a desire to help friends who were facing such problems by lending an ear or a shoulder to cry on.
Today, the group of 20 volunteers has assisted 110 youths, who reach out to them, said Solace Haven founder Hashmitha Selvam.
“These issues are so viral (on social media) but it's not spoken about as much as it should be. So, I thought I needed to do something about this so that everyone is aware of it.
“I don't know how many of my followers (on Instagram) or my friends are going through hardships. So I thought maybe if I start this, I could help them. Also then I could inspire more people to do something about mental health,” she told Malaysiakini.
The concept is simple - youths can drop an email or private message at Solace Haven’s Instagram account if they feel they need to speak to someone, and they would get a sympathetic ear to listen to them, in absolute privacy.
“We are friends to anyone who needs one,” said Hashmitha, 22, who is a law student and a singer.
“Whenever someone tells us their struggles, we try our best to help them out even if it’s just by listening to them. We also message them back and ask them how they are doing.”
Launched in June last year, Hasmitha said the platform of almost 1,000 Instagram followers also aims to break the stigma on mental health issues by discussing various topics such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and personality disorder, among other matters.
It has also partnered with Advocating Youth - a youth-led initiative under Felo Parlimen Malaysia - to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues stemming from common misconceptions and superstitious beliefs.
Although Solace Haven aims to provide a safe space for youths to address mental health needs, Hasmitha stresses that the peer support it provides should not be taken as counselling or a therapy session as they are not medically trained.
In cases where professional intervention is needed, she said, Solace Haven volunteers have professionals they can refer to.
Parents tell them they’re too young to be depressed or anxious
Suhasni Mariyappan, 22, a volunteer in Solace Haven, said one of the challenges has been to respect the privacy of those who reach out to them and not breach confidentiality.
“I cannot open up about problems these people have because it's private and confidential.
“I have had dilemmas because sometimes I don’t know what exactly to tell them. But I’m used to it now because sometimes all they need is a listening ear.”
Suhasni said many young people have suppressed their mental health issues because they do not know how to manage them.
“They don’t know how to open up and express their feelings. And (managing) that, too, during a pandemic is very hard,” she said.
She said many confide that their parents often dismiss their concerns or believe they are too young to have anxiety or be depressed.
But this does not match findings of a recent study that mental health symptoms, especially depression and anxiety, “have been overwhelmingly prevalent in the Malaysian population as the Covid-19 pandemic has progressed”.
The study on 1,163 respondents in Malaysia found those most vulnerable to mental health symptoms were young people, particularly students, females, and people with poor financial conditions.
“(Parents say), ‘You are only 20, why are you having panic attacks? You are not even going to work to earn money.’
“But they have to understand that just because we are only 20 doesn’t mean we are immune to panic attacks. They have to be open-minded and be there for their kids especially during this pandemic,” Suhasni added.
‘There is hope’
Hasmitha said the year past has taught the group of volunteers communication skills and patience.
“Sometimes, we have to just strengthen ourselves, because some stories are just intense,” she said.
Lack of formal training for volunteers also means volunteers themselves struggle with the intensity of the work, but the group has found support in each other, she said.
“We just talk and make ourselves feel better. We have get-togethers among our team if they want to share what problems they are facing, or if they want to share ways to improve our system.”
She hopes Solace Haven could one day be registered and operate as a full-fledged non-governmental organisation, to help those with mental health issues.
Positive feedback from those who reached out to them has been a measure of success for Solace Haven.
Some who benefited from the support have also asked if they could join the group of volunteers to give back.
“It’s nice to know that many people want to help others. This means that there is hope somewhere out there in the world,” she said. - Mkini
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