Let’s Talk Mental
Oral Communication Practice
Watch the video and respond to the questions below.
1. How does the video show the variety of emotions people possess?
2. What are some attitudes towards mental health in your society?
RESPONSES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Ron Yap, 24, runs the Instagram account @mentalhealthceo to raise awareness in Singapore
“While there has been more conversation on disorders like generalised anxiety disorder and depression, there’s still stigma surrounding more uncommon disorders, like obsessive compulsive disorder [also known as OCD]. To non-sufferers, [a sufferer’s] behaviour is simply irrational, and even insane, and this impression hinders their ability to empathise with the sufferer.”
Dixon Chibanda, director of the African Mental Health Research Initiative
“In most low- and middle-income countries, the ratio of psychiatrists to the population is something like one for every one and a half million people. In my country, there are 12 psychiatrists [as of 2017], and I’m one of them, for a population of approximately 14 million.”
Thara Rangaswamy, 69, psychiatrist and renowned community mental health researcher
“Criminals with mental health issues are [sensationalised in the media] and written off as ‘psychos’. Even in films, a trope has been created about how people with mental health problems are ‘retarded’ or cannot function in social settings. It is time for a change where films and media show the real challenges and success of people with mental health issues.”
