Mental Health Support & Awareness for the Deaf Community workshop

DAWN organised the Mental Health Support & Awareness for the Deaf Community workshop on 25 May 2025 at Rukun Tetangga Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. The four-hour session brought together 60 Deaf participants and aimed to strengthen basic mental health awareness and emotional understanding within the Deaf community.

The workshop was designed as a foundational introduction to mental health, helping Deaf participants build essential knowledge before progressing to more advanced programmes such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). Content was delivered in a Deaf-friendly and accessible manner, with full BIM interpretation to support clear communication and engagement.

Facilitated by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Shawn Lee and his team, the session focused on helping participants recognise, understand, and express emotions in healthy ways. Participants explored four basic emotions—happy, sad, fear, and anger—and reflected on common triggers they encounter in daily life. The workshop also introduced links between emotions and mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety, and depression.

In addition, the session covered the importance of sleep, common sleep difficulties, and simple self-help techniques, including eye fixation, to support better sleep. Through group discussions and case studies, participants were encouraged to share experiences, ask questions, and learn from one another in a safe and supportive environment.

The workshop also addressed when to seek help, particularly when emotional distress or sleep problems persist for more than two weeks. Participants discussed common barriers to accessing mental health support, including stigma, financial constraints, and communication challenges, and explored practical strategies to improve help-seeking within the Deaf community.

Participant feedback was highly positive. Many shared that they felt more confident recognising their emotions and expressing them openly. The Deaf-centred approach, interactive activities, and supportive environment were widely appreciated.

Credit

This training was part of the Projek Pembangunan Sumber Pertolongan Cemas Kesihatan Mental Bagi Komuniti Pekak di Malaysia, supported by the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH), Yayasan Hasanah, and the Ministry of Health Malaysia under the Mental Health Grant.