As Thailand observes Mental Health Awareness Month, the focus on psychological well-being has never been more critical. In 2025 alone, 13.4 million Thais experienced mental health issues, and the suicide rate among Thais between 15-29 years old has increased steadily in the past 10 years. Recent data from the Department of Mental Health indicates that nearly 10% of surveyed Thais are at risk of depression. In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies, is stepping forward to champion the role of psychiatry education in building a more resilient society.
SGU students are encouraged to approach psychiatry with humility and curiosity, recognizing that meaningful care begins with understanding each patient’s lived experience. “Psychiatry reminds us that medicine is not only about treating disease, but about understanding people,” said Dr. Elizabeth Ryznar, Associate Chair of Psychiatry (US) and Professor of Medicine at SGU.
“The most important humanistic lesson I impart to my students is that we are all humans, all worthy of the same dignity. Unfortunately, we still encounter stigma against psychiatric patients within the healthcare system and our broader society, and we need to remember that every person is doing the best they can. The empathy and communication skills you can practice in your psychiatric rotation will make a big difference in whatever area of medicine you choose to practice in, ” she continued.
For Thai/South Korean students who would like to pursue psychiatry, SGU advises them to focus their practice on:
- a certain population of patients based on diagnosis, cultural group, or forensics
- a certain modality such as psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, or interventional psychiatry
- a specific setting, such as inpatient, outpatient, residential, or partial hospitalization programs, or emergency departments.
Throughout its MD tracks, SGU also takes proactive steps to safeguard its students’ mental health by encouraging sustainable daily habits that support long-term well-being. These include maintaining structured schedules to balance life and rest, cultivating strong support systems with peers and mentor networks, engaging in hobbies outside of academics or work to relieve stress, and recognizing when to step back and seek support.
SGU’s medical curriculum prepares future Thai/South Korean doctors who are not only clinically capable but also deeply empathetic toward their patients’ struggles. In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, SGU remains dedicated to training doctors who are prepared to meet evolving mental health needs with both skill and deep-seated empathy.
