Supporting the Punjabi Community
Sunday, September 16 saw the Punjabi community come together in Surrey for an information evening on mental illness. The event was attended by over 100 people who came to hear, Dr. Rajpal Singh, PhD Psychology and Dr. Nirmal Kang, Psychiatrist, speak about mood disorders: the signs and symptoms, how they may be affecting yourself, your family and friends and the availability of MDA Self-Help Punjabi Speaking Support groups.
The largely immigrant Punjabi population in the Lower Mainland is, for the most part, very healthy. To be accepted for immigration to Canada you must be in good health and pass a medical examination. But, according to Dr. Singh, this culture, which has a strong system of family support and co-dependency, encourages individuals to endure mental illness within the family and only seek outside help when it becomes more serious. The stresses of living in a new country along with the absence of extended family to provide support, makes it critical that the availability of help and resources is known to anyone who needs it.
In June of 2007, Jas Cheema, Diversity Services Manager, Surrey Memorial Hospital, invited MDA to participate in a Community Health Fair. It was her goal to heighten the awareness and provide health information to Surrey's diverse community so people can take a personal responsibility. Many who attended took the opportunity to ask about mood disorders and hear about the MDA support groups.
Both Ms. Cheema and Dr. Singh point at the importance of getting the message out to the Punjabi community and the medical professionals who are in a position to promote these resources. Doctors must be persistent in encouraging their Punjabi patients to seek help for a mental illness early on in the diagnosis stage.
And the message is getting out. Dr. Singh and MDA's Rennie Hoffman, have appeared as guests on RedFM, a Vancouver multicultural radio station, to discuss bipolar disorder, depression and other mood disorders; BC Ministry of Health recognizes the importance of producing culturally sensitive information; Fraser Health Authority has psychiatric workers from the South Asian community included on treatment teams. People are learning to accept help that is offered in order to assist them to live with mental illness, whether it be their own or that of a family member.
Dr. Singh facilitates the two MDA Self-Help Punjabi Speaking Support Groups - one for men and one for women. This is the second year for the groups which meet alternating Sundays at the DiverseCity Community Resource Society in Surrey. The interest and attendance is growing with some new attendees being referred by their doctors. For some it may be the first time they have talked about their mood disorder outside their family.
If you want more information about these two support groups, please click on our Special Interest Support Groups, email or call our office.
The largely immigrant Punjabi population in the Lower Mainland is, for the most part, very healthy. To be accepted for immigration to Canada you must be in good health and pass a medical examination. But, according to Dr. Singh, this culture, which has a strong system of family support and co-dependency, encourages individuals to endure mental illness within the family and only seek outside help when it becomes more serious. The stresses of living in a new country along with the absence of extended family to provide support, makes it critical that the availability of help and resources is known to anyone who needs it.
In June of 2007, Jas Cheema, Diversity Services Manager, Surrey Memorial Hospital, invited MDA to participate in a Community Health Fair. It was her goal to heighten the awareness and provide health information to Surrey's diverse community so people can take a personal responsibility. Many who attended took the opportunity to ask about mood disorders and hear about the MDA support groups.
Both Ms. Cheema and Dr. Singh point at the importance of getting the message out to the Punjabi community and the medical professionals who are in a position to promote these resources. Doctors must be persistent in encouraging their Punjabi patients to seek help for a mental illness early on in the diagnosis stage.
And the message is getting out. Dr. Singh and MDA's Rennie Hoffman, have appeared as guests on RedFM, a Vancouver multicultural radio station, to discuss bipolar disorder, depression and other mood disorders; BC Ministry of Health recognizes the importance of producing culturally sensitive information; Fraser Health Authority has psychiatric workers from the South Asian community included on treatment teams. People are learning to accept help that is offered in order to assist them to live with mental illness, whether it be their own or that of a family member.
Dr. Singh facilitates the two MDA Self-Help Punjabi Speaking Support Groups - one for men and one for women. This is the second year for the groups which meet alternating Sundays at the DiverseCity Community Resource Society in Surrey. The interest and attendance is growing with some new attendees being referred by their doctors. For some it may be the first time they have talked about their mood disorder outside their family.
If you want more information about these two support groups, please click on our Special Interest Support Groups, email or call our office.
