UNAIR NEWS – Mental health disorder is a problem that affects emotions, thinking patterns, and behavior. One of the main causes of this problem is the psychological factor of a person. Quoted from the WHO (World Health Organization), the age group vulnerable to mental health disorders is the age of 15-29 years. In advance, the surrounding environment also greatly contributes to this.
For this reason, the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) PSDKU UNAIR in Banyuwangi formed the “Komunitas Kenal Sebaya”. The community is engaged in mental health to overcome mental health problems and various other symptoms in students’ lives.
The original reason for creating the community was a Banyuwangi PSDKU FKM lecturer whose members called “Sebaya Friends” are students with great concern for mental health. To develop the community, the university gives appreciation through financial assistance.
Furthermore, the community also received special attention from Lentera Kaji and the Australian Government. For this reason, taking place in the Sobo Campus Meeting Room on Saturday – Sunday (15-16/2), Desak Made Sintha Kurnia Dewi, S.KM., M.Kes., as the initiator lecturer provided training to ‘sobat sebaya (lit. peer buddy).’
The training explains how to communicate well, be a good listener, improve awareness to clients, provide insights on mental health, fill out IDSSR and K10 tools, and using peer-to-peer modules and Sobat Sebaya pocketbook.
To UNAIR NEWS, Community leader Ahmad Rhidoi Yuda Prayogi explained that the purpose of forming the community is to become a facilitator for fellow students because mostly they experience problems in mental health.
“Komunitas Kenal Sebaya is the program, Sobat Sebaya is the name of the cadres, and the target of peer mentoring is teenagers aged 10-24 years according to BKKBN policy,” Yuda explained.
The method of training is using the lecture method and practicum. After getting material on good communication, then cadres will practice how to deal directly with clients.
“Hopefully, this community can reduce some of the problems of teenagers, especially in campus, through peers as good listeners and can provide solutions to problems faced by students,” concluded Yuda.
Author: Desi Natalia
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
