Coffee, Tea or Me?
by James Kong Shi Hao
School of Pharmacy
Depression, anxiety and stress are common colds of mental health, and young people are highly susceptible to these illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the pandemic has brought about mental health repercussions more than ever. It will continue to bring upon waves of negative impacts to society if not properly addressed. Many mental health organisations have taken the initiative to organise talks, seminars, and workshops to raise mental health awareness. However, awareness alone is insufficient to address the prevalent mental health issues that show no signs of abating.
I initiated a four-day series mental health awareness campaign — Coffee, Tea or Me?, which concluded on 25 September 2021.
This project was founded on the idea of spreading joy and positivity through Zumba, where participants could express themselves through dancing. However, I took it to the next level by introducing a wide range of interactive activities such as an online escape room, self-reflective sessions, mindfulness, doodling and music night. This refinement highlights the significance of psychoeducation whilst making the activities fun and exciting for young people. On top of that, we also introduced peer support sessions where participants were assigned to small groups with trained facilitators to discuss mental health and the effective ways to manage their problems.
I am eternally grateful to my mentors from Vital Strategies: Siddhi Aryal, Romain Stanton, Julia Yeck and Lynn Tang, for imparting wisdom and their amazing experiences that have contributed to the success of this campaign. Also, many thanks to Temasek Foundation and Heartware Network Singapore for initiating this project.
It has been a privilege leading an amazing team driven by altruism to address the prevalent mental health issues in Malaysia. This campaign wouldn’t have been a success without my extraordinary team working behind the scenes.
Nelson Mandela once quoted: “education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world!” Psychoeducation should be deeply rooted in an individual to embrace any mental health issues they might encounter in the future.
I sincerely hope that young people develop a good grasp of mental health and be able to cascade their experiences with others, either their friends, family or even acquaintances, in the hope of achieving the mental health “herd immunity”!