Interactive journaling as a mental health coping strategy for youths / Nur Shahmina Dayini Kasman and Sheik Badrul Hisham Jamil Azhar

Since 2017, the prevalence of mental health disorders among youths and young adults in Malaysia appears to be growing in frequency and severity. The cause of this matter may vary depending on one’s circumstances; however, studies show that most suffering people dislike sharing their side of the story, and this may be the grounds for the issue they face. Due to self-consciousness, many are reluctant to disclose their problems due to scared of being judged, and as a result, they pent up their emotions. In consideration of this matter, nurturing this habit will gradually lead to poor mental well-being. Thus, the purpose of this project ‘A Book You Never Knew You Needed’ is to assist youths in finding an appropriate outlet for expressing their problems through journaling. In order to gather youths' perspectives on journaling, a google form survey was conducted. The findings then revealed that the respondents between the age of 18 to 22 find writing and art help in expressing their thoughts, and writing is the most preferable medium to vent.