The Community Engagement in Mental Health Advocacy

An Inter-University Program in Malaysia

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56741/jscd.v2i03.1115


Keywords:

Community Well-Being, Emotional Resilience, Health Practices, Mental Health Literacy, Stigma Reduction

Abstract

This study explores the role of community engagement in mental health advocacy, focusing on academically driven initiatives conducted by Ratna Yunita Setiyani Subardjo in Malaysia. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive method, the research draws on institutional reports and participatory observations, framed by community psychology and participatory action research (PAR). Key activities included mental health campaigns, psychological counseling, educational outreach, and capacity building, all implemented in collaboration with institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universitas Aisyiyah Yogyakarta. The interventions addressed student mental health through culturally sensitive, bilingual services and peer support models. Findings indicate that academic institutions can serve as powerful agents of social transformation when their members actively engage in community well-being. These initiatives significantly contributed to emotional resilience, stigma reduction, and inclusive mental health literacy. This case highlights the potential of cross-cultural academic partnerships in promoting sustainable and human-centered mental health practices.

Author Biographies

Ratna Yunita Setiyani Subardjo, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

is a lecturer at the Psychology Department, University of Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Now, she is studying in the same area for a Doctoral degree at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She is interested in clinical psychology, cyberbullying, victimization, depression, suicide, forensic psychology, community psychology, and resilience. She is popular as a motivator, counselor, and psychologist. She is a peer reviewer in The Journal PLOS ONE, BMC Psychology, BMC Psychiatry, and Frontiers, indexing Scopus and WOS in Q1, PSIKIS Journal, etc. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8942-5309. Scopus ID: 59682065200. WOS ID: GPT-0319-2022. She is the Chief Editor of Advances in Psychological Sciences and Applications (APSA) Journal at iistr.org (email: ratnayunita@unisayogya.ac.id).

Zeeshan Khan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

is an education scientist. He just got a Doctor of Philosophy from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia with an excellent thesis and Graduate On Time (GOT). He had a publication in Q1 WOS Scopus (PLOS One) and the F1000 Journal. His fields are: human trafficking and technology. He is the Editor of Advances in Psychological Sciences and Applications (APSA) Journal at iistr.org (email: zplus.1371@gmail.com).

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Published

2025-09-04

How to Cite

Subardjo, R. Y. S., & Khan, Z. (2025). The Community Engagement in Mental Health Advocacy: An Inter-University Program in Malaysia. Journal of Social and Community Development, 2(03), 111–120. https://doi.org/10.56741/jscd.v2i03.1115

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 03 (2025): Journal of Social and Community Development

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Ratna Yunita Setiyani Subardjo, Zeeshan Khan

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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