Estb. 1882

University of the Punjab

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Talk on mental health issues
Talk on mental health issues


LAHORE: (Wednesday, July 22, 2020): Punjab University Institute of Applied Psychology Director Dr Rafia Rafique has given an informative talk on mental health issues students are facing during pandemic. She was one of the invited speakers by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad. She highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of students who were calling at the COVID-19 Mental health helpline of Institute of Applied Psychology. Dr Rafia said that students were facing stress of online classes because of poor internet connectivity and lack of expertise of teachers and students for online teaching and learning. She said it was high time students should realize that it’s perfectly Ok not to be ok. She said help was available through online counseling and telemedicine services of IAP. She said students need to structure their day and pay special attention to maintain good sleep habits. She said religious coping, mindfulness, relaxation exercises, deep breathing and other simple exercises can provide relief to students from stress, anxiety and depression. Dr Rafia was of the opinion that students should learn to manage their time and try to resist the urge for excessive use of internet. The webinar was attended by a large number of Participants from all walks of life; students showed great interest and appreciated the insightful discussion on mental health.