Unimas Lecturers Develop Mental Health Diagnostic System For Students

By Zaphne Philip

KUCHING, Jun 27 (Bernama) -- Four lecturers from the Faculty of Cognitive Science and Human Development of University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) have successfully developed a system to diagnose and support students who are experiencing emotional stress. 

The system, known as the Psychoemotional Support for Students (PS4-S) which comprises 20 questions related to the emotional experience of an individual, was jointly developed by UNIMAS Cognitive Science senior lecturer Dr Mohamad Hardyman Barawi and lecturers Ross Azura Zahit, Dr Abdul Razak Yahya Salleh Al-Hababi and Dr Wan Norizan Wan Hashim. 

Describing the system, Dr Mohamad Hardyman said each answer influences the diagnosis on a scale of normal, mild and depression, which enables the psychologist to recommend the appropriate therapy and if necessary refer the individual to a registered psychiatrist. 

“This system is very useful in assisting psychologists reach an accurate diagnosis and recommend a suitable therapy to prevent mental disorders, behavioural issues and emotional stress,” he told Bernama recently.  

He said the PS4-S system won them a gold medal at the International Counselling Convention organised by the International Association of Counselling Malaysia last year. 

“For starters, the PS4-S system will be used in the Faculty of Cognitive Science and Human Development and later recommended to the rest of UNIMAS to help diagnose students who are prone to unhealthy behavioural changes,” he said.  

Dr Mohamad Hardyman said mental health, which encompasses physical, mental and social well-being, must be attended to and where necessary, individuals must be provided psychiatric treatment, especially among those prone to experiencing mental stress.

He said mental health problems can be faced by anyone, regardless of age, and if left untreated could lead to suicidal tendencies in the worst-case scenario.

The PS4-S can be used as an early detection tool to assess the mental health of students who exhibit behavioural changes, he said.

“An accurate diagnosis or conclusion will enable psychologists to recommend appropriate solutions such as inter-personal, psychodynamic or art therapies to help the individual heal,” he said. 

-- BERNAMA