UNS — A team of Faculty Members from Psychology Program Faculty of Medical Science (FK) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta in Research Group (RG) Indigenous Psychology accompanied teenagers who live in the orphanage during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chief of RG Indigenous Psychology, Dr. Tri Rejeki Andayani, S.Psi., M.Si, stated that Covid-19 still posed a threat for everybody and is no exception for teenagers who live in the orphanage. According to Dr. Andayani, even in normal condition, teenagers in orphanage faced diverse challenges and problems, which is bound to increase during the pandemic. Therefore, RG Indigenous Psychology held a community service program in the form of strengthening mental health amid Covid-19 pandemic through psychoeducation on self-compassion especially for teenagers in Nurul Huda Orphanage, Kartasura.
The orphanage is one of the partners of RG in FK UNS which often collaborate in various social events such as free treatment and counseling for teenagers which is driven by Farida Hidayati, S,Psi., M.Si and team from RG members. Through the psychoeducation on self-compassions, teenagers in the orphanage are expected to recognize and understand the means to develop self-compassions. “According to Neff (2012), self-compassion can promote one’s readiness to face new challenges, and to develop a willingness to fix mistakes and change non-productive behaviors,” Farida Hidayati, S,Psi., M.Si explained in an interview with uns.ac.id on Friday (16/10/2020).
The event was held in August 2020 and was joined by 32 teenagers that consist of 10 female teenagers and 22 male teenagers. The limited internet access and use of phone and laptop in the orphanage forced the event funded by Research Group Grant (HGR) PNBP UNS 2020 to be conducted offline by following the prevailing health protocols.
Besides teenagers from the orphanage, the community service program that aims to increase mental health amid the pandemic was also conducted for university students, both those who cannot go back home and those who have back to their hometown. This community service program is a part of Independent Grant for Covid-19 Handling PNBP UNS 2020 led by Drs. Hardjono, M.Si. He argued that the shift from offline to online learning poses threat and pressures for university students.
“Adaptation with the new academic and non-academic life requires improvement in mental health to face the pressures and changes challenges into opportunities to keep moving and thriving,” Hardjono stated. Humas UNS
Reporter: Dwi Hastuti