Mental health : subconscious mind / Emily Jothee Mathai

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022), mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his/her own abilities, can cope with the 'normal stresses' of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to the community. The word' normal stress' is somehow very subjective. What may seem normal to someone may seem excessive to the other. Principally, after the onset of COVID-19, the issue of stress has escalated among people from all walks of life around the globe; university students are one of them! According to Nur Shakila Ibharim et al. (2021), students from institutes of higher learning were highly affected primarily due to campus closures, the shift to virtual classes, and financial constraints. A study carried out by Kush et al. (2022) in the United States of America in which the mental health status of teachers and professionals in other occupations were compared found that teachers reported a greater anxiety level compared to those in other professions. More closely, a local study carried out by Ahmad Razali Ishak et al. (2022) on 391 teachers revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in depression, anxiety, and stress among Malaysian teachers.