World Mental Health Day 2018.docx

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2018 (This paper only focuses on the poster presentation as I had classes during the seminar) Every year on 10th October World Mental Health Day is observed all over the world with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. This year the World Health Organization’s (WHO) aim for World Mental Health Day was to focus on young people and mental health in a changing world. The WHO explained, ‘Adolescence and the early years of adulthood are a time of life when many changes occur, for example changing schools, leaving home, and starting university or a new job. For many, these are exciting times. They can also be times of stress and apprehension however. In some cases, if not recognized and managed these feelings can lead to mental illness. The expanding use of online technologies, while undoubtedly bringing many benefits, can also bring additional pressures, as connectivity to virtual networks at any time of the day and night grows.’ – The daily mail 2 October 2018

In keeping with the theme on this World Mental Health Day, East West University arranged a poster presentation and seminar on ‘Young People and Mental health in a Changing World.’ The event was organized by the Department of Social Relations and students of the university took part in it. The poster presentation went on throughout the day at the Wi-Fi Zone. Students who had formed groups among themselves made the posters. In total six groups had been formed and each group had their own poster. Every poster had focused on a different aspect of mental health. Written below in the table is a list of mental health issues presented by each group,

Topic presented at the Poster Presentation Anxiety Cyber Bullying Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Depression The Store House of Phobia Self-Harm and Suicide

Each team had done their best to portray out their significant topics on to the posters.

With colorful papers and writings the posters were beautified. Relative images had also been used to make the posters look interesting. Every team had been creative in making the posters but the most eye-catching poster was the one on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The enlarged size and creativity had mad the poster unique and the details in the poster

were

also

presented

thoughtfully. The teams who had made the posters stood joyously beside

their

posters

and

described their work to the onlookers. Team No Surprise had interestingly arranged a game of darts for the visitors to play. A member of the team No Surprise who had made their poster on the topic anxiety quoted, ‘Our faculty member had given us the task to bring out the major mental health issues and to describe them through our posters. To be a bit more effective to describe our topic we have arranged this game of darts for the visitors to play and find out if they have anxiety or not.’ The onlookers were given the chance to know about common mental health issues and comment about their experience. As most of the students at East West University are adolescents, this event had given them the chance of learning about the mental health issues they might face at this age. It is not a surprise that most youths are now feeling pressurized or stressed out. These feeling of pressure or stress are the core reasons behind mental health problems. The posters had described this issue properly and addressed the symptoms of the common mental health problems. The students can now be aware of these symptoms and not overlook them as people in our country usually do. The overall event was very informative and helpful for the students of East West University. As mental health problems had never been properly recognized in Bangladesh, the celebration of World Mental Health Day will be an effective solution to raise awareness among the people and help the victims. I am grateful to have visited an event like this and know about the severity of mental health issues.