Building mental health resilience in hazard-prone areas 

HatiPlong partners with the Global Forum for Sustainable Resilience to support survivors and volunteers in disaster-prone areas.

Disasters can cause significant psychological stress on both survivors and volunteers in disaster-prone areas. Survivors may experience grief, trauma, and depression due to the loss of homes, loved ones, and property. Similarly, volunteers who help survivors also face high levels of stress and burnout, often resulting in secondary trauma. These effects on mental health are often overlooked and can have long-term consequences.

On March 2 and 3, HatiPlong, a mental healthcare provider, attended the Global Forum for Sustainable Resilience Conference on Disaster Management in Indonesia.

"HatiPlong thinks that mental health support is an important part of long-term disaster management," said Farah Djalal, the CEO of HatiPlong.

"We are proud to participate in the Global Forum for Sustainable Resilience Conference to raise awareness of this critical issue and to collaborate with other experts to develop sustainable solutions for mental health support in disaster management," she added.

HatiPlong is focused on promoting mental wellness and resilience through innovative programmes and services that address the unique needs of individuals, families, and communities affected by disasters.

It will present its community-based mental health programmes in disaster-prone areas as well as its online counselling and therapy services for disaster survivors and volunteers. It will also highlight its use of technology to improve access to mental healthcare and promote mental wellness and resilience in the aftermath of disasters.

Farah added: "We think that helping survivors and volunteers with their mental health is an important part of the recovery process because it helps them deal with trauma, reduce stress, and avoid future mental health problems.

"We are committed to working with partners to promote mental wellness and resilience in disaster-prone areas and to ensure that mental health support is an integral part of sustainable disaster management."

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