Focusing on well-being, for a holistic approach to health
The Hindu
Well-being at the workplace, well-being of cancer patients and digital resilience are some of the areas being explored, at a national conference at the Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women in Chennai
A national conference on ‘Fostering Well-Being Across Lifespan’ conducted by the Department of Applied Psychology and Behavioural Research, Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women, was inaugurated on Tuesday.
The two-day conference includes sessions on the psychosocial well-being of cancer patients, well-being at the workplace, and digital resilience conducted by doctors, professors, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals.
“This conference is a small step towards drawing attention to India’s third sustainable development goal (good health and well-being) and offers participants the chance to learn from experts and build a professional network of mental health professionals across States”, said Waheeda Matheen, head of the psychology department of the college.
In his inaugural address, R. Ravanan, joint director of collegiate education- Chennai region, said considering well-being could lead to a more holistic approach towards health. “It can help shape policy: for example, the correlation between the loss of green spaces and a decline in mental health,” he said.
“Psychology can help us understand why people behave the way they do and it is something used by companies every day to attract consumers,” said Faizur Rahman Sayeed, secretary, Southern India Education Trust (SIET). He also urged that the course syllabus to be amended so that students have marketable skills to help them receive job offers on graduation.
Speaking on the psychosocial well-being of cancer patients, V. Surendran, department head of psycho-oncology and RCTC, Cancer Institute, Chennai touched upon the emotional reactions of patients to a cancer diagnosis and how it affects their role in the family, changes their physical appearance and behaviour.
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