Name: Hasan alfarouq

School: SMAN 04 Bengkulu city

Assalamualaikum Wr .Wb

Good afternoon respected judges of this competition and good afternoon all dear audiences. In
this very special oppurtunity, let me introduce my self first. My name is hasan alfarouq,I'm from
senior highschool number 4 bengkulu city, and I'm here to deliver my speech with a title "the
importance of mental health in the era of a pandemic". But before that, I would like to say thanks
to Almighty Allah SWT for the blessing so we can be here, attending this competition. And then
may shalawat and salam always be delivered to our prophet, Muhammad SAW, who had
brought us from the darknest, to this bright modern era that we're living today. And last but not
least, thanks to all the respected judges for giving me this very special opportunity, so I'm able
to standing here, delivering my speech.

Ladies and gentleman in this pandemic period, health becomes number one, therefore we must
carry out health protocols such as washing hands, wearing masks, and staying at home, all
done with the aim of maintaining immunity and physical health. Almost all places and activities
do not escape health protocols, for what? To maintain the physical health of all levels of society,
although with great risks that must be taken. Approximately to that extent the efforts made by
the government to overcome the pandemic that has a direct effect on physical health.

Ladies and gentleman, we must recognize that in addition to the effect on physical health, this
pandemic period also has an impact on mental health as well. Of course this can be caused by
various reasons, ranging from feeling mentally tired because we have to move through a
computer continuously, feeling confined in the house constantly, to the lack of social interaction
with other communities, these things certainly have a direct impact on our mental health, and
have an indirect impact on our physical health. Because as we know, mental health is bound
and related to physical health, so both must be in excellent condition to obtain good immunity,
especially when going through a pandemic like today.

Ladies and gentleman, but actually who is most affected by the mental health constraints above,
especially during pandemics? The answer is the younger generation, which can be categorized
from the age of three to eighteen years. Why is that? This is because at that age, the emotions
and mental an individual is still not clearly recognized by himself, An obstacle or mental obstacle
that is too heavy can interfere with the emotional development of the individual and can even
leave an impression that will affect and potentially become traumatized for individuals within that
age.

Ladies and gentleman what is mental health?

okay here I will explain what mental health is.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of well-being in
which individuals can realize their own potential. That is, they can cope with the stresses of a
normal life, can function productively and usefully, and are able to contribute to their community.
Mental health problems are conditions that interfere with our mood, behavior, thoughts or the
way a person interacts with others. This condition can be mild, moderate, and severe; It is
determined based on how far it affects a person's daily functioning. Examples are depression,
anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

What can affect mental health?

Mental health can be affected by a variety of factors including genetics, family/peer

relationships, physiological function, lifestyle, work, social, economic, educational and other
environmental factors, stress and exposure to environmental hazards can also be contributing
factors to mental health problems.

Then back to the previous point, why do I imply that the government needs to pay more
attention to the mental health of the younger generation, even more so at times like this? This
can be answered through a research from the Ministry of Health in Basic Health Research 2018,
where it was found that an increase of 50% from the previous results, in 2013, the number of
individuals who need mental help will continue to grow, but it seems that indications the
government takes seriously has not yet appeared.

Well ladies and gentleman what can the government and, of course, we, as a society can do to
help overcome this problem?

So according to the recommendations of the University of Indonesia there are 4 health policies
that must be done during the pandemic, namely is :

1. Prevent mental health crises during and after pandemics by facilitating surveillance results of
mental health problems.

2. Provide mental and psychosocial health support for productive age groups and other
vulnerable groups in the form of facilitation of adaptation to work and learning from home,
strengthening interactions in the family, social security and health.

3. Expand the reach of mental health services in the community by facilitating access such as
swaperiksa and teleconsultation technology.

4. Ensure continuity of mental health services for people with mental disorders through the
development of telemedicine, drug access policies, and prevention of physical health risks.

Ladies and gentleman, maybe that's just a short speech that I can deliver, hopefully we can all
help shape the younger generation with a healthy, honest, and faithful mentality, therefore, our
contribution is needed to help guide the young generation of Indonesia. May there be benefits
and knowledge in my short speech on this occasion, all truth comes from Allah SWT and all
mistakes come from me personally, apologies for all my mistakes, thank you very much for the
attention, may it be beneficial for all of us.

Billahitaufik wal hidayah

Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh