Feeling controlled and harshly treated by teachers, suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, and challenges in managing emotions are among the issues raised during a 'Confession Session' programme hosted by Sinar Daily in collaboration with Sage Centre.
The programme, which took place over three days at Karnival Rakyat attracted about 160 participants and provided a platform for individuals to share their struggles and seek support.
Beyond offering personalised support and guidance, the Confession Session was organised to raise awareness about the importance of mental health, highlighting the need for accessible, empathetic, and effective mental health care for everyone.
Sage Centre founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Yasmin A Khan highlighted the variety of concerns brought up during the sessions.
"Teenagers often discussed feeling controlled and harshly treated by teachers, societal and religious views on their morality, and concerns about helping friends or themselves with suicidal thoughts and self-harm while fearing negative reactions from teachers," she said to Sinar Daily.
She said the spectrum of issues ranged from parental pressure and low self-esteem to love-life problems and bullying at school.
According to the data collected, Yasmin revealed that school students also faced significant family issues, including the effects of a broken family, while young adults frequently dealt with relationship problems and low self-esteem.
"Adults primarily brought up work burnout, lack of work-life balance, career transition doubts, and financial concerns.
"Other highlighted concerns across all age groups included domestic abuse, suicidal ideation, difficulties with studying, self-harm, marriage difficulties, and challenges in managing emotions," she said.
Yasmin said the support from participants at Karnival Rakyat was enthusiastic and engaging noting that many attendees actively participated in the confession sessions, openly sharing their concerns and experiences.
"Our objective was to raise awareness about mental health and normalise conversations around it, emphasising the importance of expressing emotions, thoughts, and feelings, and the significant impact of doing so.
"The sessions provided a valuable platform for individuals to discuss their issues in a supportive environment," she explained.
Although a few participants were initially reluctant due to stigma or beliefs about mental health, Yasmin said these comments highlighted the ongoing challenge of overcoming such barriers.
"Overall, we achieved our goals, successfully guiding and helping many people while gaining valuable insights into societal issues.
"This experience will help us and hopefully society address these longstanding problems more effectively," she said.
Karnival Rakyat Karangkraf 2024 attracted 100,000 visitors over its three-day run at the Karangkraf Group headquarters from July 26 to July 28.
The carnival, which started on Friday July 26, saw its finale festivities late Sunday evening, offered a variety of activities for all age groups.
The event was organised as a gesture of gratitude to the readers who have consistently supported Sinar Harian which has been in the market for 18 years.