1.Assessing the Effectiveness of a Mental Health Literacy Programme for Refugee Teachers in Malaysia
Kok Wai Tay ; Anna Wen Huey Ong ; Kai Shuen Pheh ; Sew KimChee Seng Tan Low ; Chee Seng Tan ; Poi Kee Low
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2019;26(6):120-126
Background: Children and young refugees often experience negative events that affect
their mental health. Their caregivers may also be in the same predicament, implying that the
teachers in schools are a potential source of help and support. However, most teachers have
little understanding of mental health and are, thus, clueless in helping their students. To address
this need, a newly developed one-day mental health literacy programme was conducted among
68 refugee teachers in Malaysia.
Methods: Participants learned the symptoms of mental health issues among children
and adolescents in the context of post-trauma, provision of early intervention, and channel for
professional supports. They also answered a packet of measurements of mental health literacy
before and after the programme.
Results: The paired sample t-test showed that participants reported higher willingness
to contact with people having mental health problems (t = 2.787, P = 0.008, Cohen’s d = 0.394),
less stereotypes toward mental illness (t = 4.603, P < 0.001, d = 0.651) and a better understanding
of self-help strategies (t = 2.16, P = .036, d = 0.322) than baseline.
Conclusion: The results of this study offered preliminary empirical evidence on the
effectiveness of the programme as a promising channel for alleviating mental health issues among
refugees.