The Problem

Individuals with deteriorating mental health, stress, and burnout in Thailand – a country grappling with one of the highest suicide rates in Asia – need to be listened to so that they can receive the appropriate assistance.

The Solution

We have developed a psychological first aid to fit the cultural context in Thailand. Such a curriculum has been used to train health volunteers; a similar curriculum will also be used to train Shapers from Bangkok Hub.

Goals

As of March 2021, we have held 20 training sessions since the outset of the Project. In these sessions, 280 health volunteers were trained to be able to provide psychological first aid. The workshop had a minor hiccup in Q1 2021, given the rise of the second wave of COVID-19 cases in Thailand; nevertheless, further training will be conducted through 2021 through a hybrid model (virtual and in-person) starting from April 2021. The training for Global Shapers Bangkok is due to start in April 2021. There are two long-term changes that the Project aims to achieve: 1) The acceptance of mental health problem as a medical illness rather than a spiritual issue or - even worse - a matter of no concern; and 2) The acceptance of substance abuse (alcohol and drugs) as a mental health issue.