Students throw spotlight on mental wellness
Globally, World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year. Mental Health is characterised by a person’s condition in regard to their mental and emotional wellbeing. Mental wellness is a major aspect that can influence people’s relationships, and promote personal and emotional well-being.
The exhibition comprised 30 stalls
Having a basic understanding of various psychological disorders that people suffer, and the different therapeutic methods – like counselling and therapy – and medical treatments that can help, is knowledge that is becoming more important each day.
This year, the Colombo International Institute of Higher Education (CIIHE) School of Psychology held their first Mental Health and Psychology exhibition”A State of Mind,”at the premises of the institute in Bambalapitiya from October 8 to 10. As pointed out by the students, understanding the importance of mental health and differentiating normal, abnormal and pathological behaviours can encourage people to reach out or offer help and support.
One of the main goals of the exhibition, which was the first of its kind organised by the institute, was to generate more awareness among the people about different topics, like mental health disorders and their relevant treatments. The other purpose was to encourage an interest in psychology and its many diverse areas.
The exhibition itself was a vibrant one with students of the institute explaining the various topics related to mental health and psychology, and engaging with visitors through interactive games and demonstrations.
More than 30 stalls were set up in the premises, each addressing a different subject, such as general mental health, biopsychology, forensic psychology, cyber psychology and addiction, cognitive neuropsychology, sports psychology, social psychology and personality and psychodynamics and behaviourism.
Certain branches of psychology such as sports psychology are not much spoken of in Sri Lanka, and promoting the study of these lesser known areas of psychology is another goal that the CIIHE School of Psychology hopes to achieve.
Sports psychology studies how athletic performance and physical activity can be influenced through psychology. In the west, sports psychologists focus on working with professional athletes and coaches to improve performance.
Students (above and right) explaining various aspects of mental health. Pix by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
Biopsychology looks at the human brain and the nervous system and how both influence human behaviour. The functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain and their impact on human behaviour were explained by the students at this stall. Aside from this, the effect of hormones on gender and even illnesses like depression were looked at in detail.
Other topics such as forensic psychology, cyber psychology, social psychology and psychodynamics were also explored.
Forensic psychology for instance, is the study of psychology and the justice system, providing a clear understanding of criminal profiles, criminal trends, and the impact of substance abuse and divorce on children.
Cyber psychology looks at human-machine interaction; how humans are affected by technology. It looks at the way people interact with each other online and how these interactions can affect them. The stall handled by the students addressed topics like gaming behaviour, internet trends and cyber bullying and its impact.
In Sri Lanka, mental health literacy is relatively low compared to other countries, while the stigma about mental health and mental illnesses is still quite prevalent in our society. The Students’ Council of the institute hopes to hold this event annually to build greater awareness among the public of this crucial field.
