Speaker
Description
The global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health challenges within Japanese universities. Mental health has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in terms of increased rates of depression, generalized and social anxiety, hostility, and alcohol abuse (Nagib et al., 2023). Concurrently, Japanese universities face resource constraints in addressing this surge in mental health issues, and even when resources are available, students may encounter difficulties in accessing them. Additionally, public and self-stigma associated with seeking mental counseling act as significant barriers for Japanese university students (Ina & Morita, 2015). Faculty members often maintain direct and frequent interactions with students and, may be called upon to serve as liaisons in facilitating student access to mental health support even though they are not trained mental health professionals. In this session, the presenter will share his experiences in assisting students to access the necessary mental health resources. Participants will be invited to share their experiences and opinions in an open ended discussion.
