Mental health is crucial to a person’s well-being, as having a healthy mind allows individuals to live happily and productively in society. A healthy and harmonious family plays a significant role in shaping one’s mental health.
Similarly, mental health policies are necessary in a campus environment to enhance literacy and awareness among students and staff and to bridge the gap in knowledge and practices surrounding mental health.
This topic was highlighted in a “Comprehensive Campus-based Mental Health System: Promoting Well-being for All” seminar on Friday (Oct. 11) at the Grand Diamond Hotel, Yogyakarta.
The seminar was initiated by the UGM Integrated Health Services Bureau (BPKT UGM) in collaboration with the Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH) at the UGM Faculty of Psychology and the Ministry of Health of Indonesia.
Several expert speakers in the field of psychology participated, including Dr. Imran Pambudi, Director of Mental Health at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Dr. John DeFrain, Emeritus Professor of Family Studies at the University of Nebraska, and CPMH UGM researchers Dr. Indrayanti, Dr. Diana Setiyawati, and Dr. Restu Tri Handoyo, along with Ade Febrina Lestari, MD, from the UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM).
Dr. Imran Pambudi outlined three steps for implementing mental health strategies on campus as UGM aims to become a Health-Promoting University. The first is a Student Education Program to raise awareness and knowledge about mental health changes among students.
“This step is important to enhance students’ ability to seek professional help for mental health issues,” he said.
The second step involves creating campus policies that support student mental health by increasing literacy and reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems, encouraging students to seek help when needed.
The final step is providing mental health facilities, such as counseling services, access to mental health information, and psychological and psychiatric care.
“Universities must establish a supportive environment for mental health by providing access to accurate information, quality mental health services, and facilities that promote mental well-being, not only for students but also for faculty and staff,” Dr. Pambudi emphasized.
Dr. John DeFrain highlighted the importance of a healthy family in shaping an individual’s mental health. Based on his research across various cultures, he noted a consistent pattern: individuals with relatively good mental health typically come from strong family support systems.
Dr. DeFrain identified six key qualities of mentally healthy families: mutual appreciation, positive communication, commitment to the family, enjoying time together, shared spiritual well-being and values, and the ability to cope effectively with stress and crises.
“Strong, loving families share common traits across cultures, and our International Family Strengths Model identifies six essential qualities: appreciation, positive communication, family commitment, enjoyable time together, shared spiritual well-being, and effective stress management,” Dr. DeFrain explained.
He also emphasized that coming from a dysfunctional family does not mean someone cannot be mentally healthy. Individuals can find positive role models outside their family who demonstrate healthy behavior.
“You may not have role models in your family, but you can learn from teachers, community members, or others,” Dr. DeFrain said.
Dr. Indrayanti discussed the importance of mental health in the workplace. She pointed out that many workers, particularly Generation Z and Millennials, fear rejection for differing opinions from their superiors.
“Sometimes, we feel lost when rejected from participating in projects because we have different views from our supervisors,” she explained.
Dr. Indrayanti proposed both formal and informal strategies to address these issues. Formal strategies include building an inclusive mental health culture, taking proactive preventive measures, and promoting mental health awareness among all employees.
Informal strategies involve creating safe workplace spaces, initiating peer-to-peer support, taking personal responsibility, and fostering external support and solidarity.
“Workplace well-being is not just a program; it’s a collective journey of commitment and responsibility to build a healthy working environment based on empathy and support in every decision,” she concluded.
Author: Hanif
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Donnie