Mental health programme in Australian schools 澳洲學生精神健康

澳洲總理莫里森宣佈將撥款280萬澳幣資助 batyr Australia 推廣校本的精神健康計劃。根據估計，全澳洲每四個16至24歲的年輕人當中，就有一人的精神健康受到困擾。batyr Australia網站上的標語是「讓室內的大象發聲」，目標鼓勵年輕人以積極正面態度討論精神健康相關課題。

在我看來，澳洲這項善舉當然值得其他地方效法，尤其是相當忌諱討論精神問題的亞洲社會。即便是醫療最先進的日韓新港台，大家討論精神科相關疾病時多少也有些避忌，畢竟這是多年以來累積下來的習慣，漸漸也似乎變成了禁忌。

或者亞洲社會應該仿效澳洲，趁早在學校讓青少年認識精神相關疾病。依我個人淺見，生活壓力愈大，精神或心理狀態愈有可能出狀況，學會觀察精神相關疾病的病徵，在一刻不得閒的現代世界也許更顯得重要。

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison pledged an allocation of A$2.8 million to support batyr Australia to promote school-based mental health programme. It is estimated that one in every four young Australians aged 16 to 24 experienced mental illness. With the slogan of “giving a voice to the elephant in the room”, batyr Australia aims to lead young people to discuss mental health topics in a positive manner.

I think that other places, particularly Asian society which sees psychiatric issues as a taboo, should emulate Australia’s move to promote mental health. Even in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan – where the medical standard is the highest in Asia – everybody seems to be shunning discussion about mental problems. After all these years, it has become a habit to see it as a taboo.

Perhaps Asian society should emulate Australia to introduce mental illnesses to students at schools. In my humble opinion, when we have more pressure in our daily life, we are more likely to suffer from psychiatric or mental problems. In our modern world where we can’t even spare some free time for ourselves, it has become more important for us to learn to observe if people around us show traits of some mental illnesses.