Mental health workshop focuses on thriving and hope
Professionals address mental health issues during a panel talk at the workshop.
A one-day mental health workshop was held on Saturday in Changning District to raise public awareness and inform professionals.
Themed “Thriving and Hope in a Changing World,” it was organized by The Expatriate Center, a local NPO catering to the needs of expatriates and Chinese returnees, along with the Shanghai International Mental Health Association.
A total of 17 mental health professionals and 8 health care providers were invited to share insights and give lectures on dealing with anxiety, stress, depression, suicide, marriage and parenting.
“The year 2020 has been a year of unique challenges for the entire world," said Dr George Hu, president of SIMHA. "These challenges have brought new priorities to the global community, and one of these is the importance of mental health for ourselves, our families, workplaces and communities."
According to a recent research conducted by the China Health Management Association, those born post-1990s are more concerned with the uncertainties of the future, post-1980s with personal and family health care, post-1970s with the overall society and economic environment.
Globally, a study by Boston University in September indicated that 27.8 percent of American adults display symptoms of depression, triple prior to the pandemic.
“During this special period, it's especially important for us to create platforms for the community to address issues as mental health," said Linda Painan, president of The Expatriate Center.
During the panel session, speakers shed light on the mental challenges wrought by this year’ pandemic within their own fields as well as the opportunities.
Distance learning has been a very big challenge for students and parents. More importantly, also for the teachers, it's been a very steep learning curve. People are creatures of habits. Sometimes it takes us a long time to learn something. Not everybody adapts to changes very quickly.
Billie Leong, principal of Shanghai Singapore International School
Our environments have the potential to create illness or well-being in populations. So if we harnessed that thinking, and we apply it to school and workplace settings, these are places that produce a tremendous amount of distress in populations.
Dr Brian J Hall, associate professor of global public health, New York University
It's about taking those baby steps and expanding horizons. It's about doing something that you usually don't do. We really encourage our kids to take those small risks and to go beyond their potential.
Margie Chiang, partner of Joyview
The pandemic has created some incredible challenges as well as opportunities. It's okay to first to just be happy with what’s going in the direction of growth and having some trust in each other.
Nigel Holdsworth, director of student support services, Shanghai American School
It's a good time to remind people that there's more to explore in life, and pursue the post-traumatic growth.
Dr Timothy A. Kelly, chief of behavioral health at Sino United Health and the Honorary Professor of Psychology and Musicology at the Shanghai University School of Music
The experience of being able to open up to share with peers, the willingness to be vulnerable, is an effective way for workers within organizations to move in the right direction.
David Mitchell, managing partner of Asia Growth Solutions
One of the things that I learned during the pandemic was to be forgiving of ourselves, which can save us from the automatic anxiety reaction after comparing with others' lives.
Dr George Hu, chief of Mental Health at Shanghai United Family Pudong Hospital, also president of the Shanghai International Mental Health Association
Dr George Hu, president of SIMHA, delivers a speech at the workshop held on Saturday.
Participants learn to draw psychological patterns during the lecture.
Two participants are pictured taking a selfie during the event.
Linda Painan, president of The Expatriate Center
Lectures on dealing with anxiety, stress, depression, suicide, marriage and parenting are delivered at the workshop held on Saturday.
