KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day marked annually on October 10, students of Armenian State Pedagogical University organized a flashmob.

Participating in the event were second-year MA students of the Faculty of Educational Psychology and Sociology [specializing in Pedagogy and Psychology] who divided into two groups –‘patients’ and ‘psychologists.’

Depression, hysteria, interpersonal conflicts, alarm conditions, drug-addiction, alcohol, euphoria, stress … One could come across these phenomena everywhere until ‘psychologists’ turned up to help. 

Removing the right sleeve of the shirts, the ‘psychologists’ asked the ‘patients’ to remove the other sleeve. “The importance of riding oneself of an unfavourable condition depends on a specialist, as well as the patient's decision and desire. After removing the black shirt, the ‘patient’ looks much brighter, which speaks of his ‘recovery’,” said Anahit Haykazuni, a second-year-student of the University. She added that by organizing the flashmob they aimed to raise awareness of mental health issues.

The flashmob was organized by Anahit Haykazuni with the help of Ruzanna Petrosyan, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Psychology and Sociology, and the Student Council.

Since 1992, the World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have marked October 10 as the annual date for World Mental Health Day, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The theme for 2014 is “Living with schizophrenia” Around 450 million people worldwide have a mental health problem today, says the WHO.