Eight out of 10 Thais experienced mental health issues exacerbated by the aftermath of Covid-19, according to a six-month survey conducted before February 2022 by Mintel, a global market research company. Gen Z is the age group that feels loneliest, at 38%, compared to other generations such as millennials (26%) and Gen X (15%).
The younger age group also experienced mental health challenges such as low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. These conditions often result from seeing "a perfect life" on social media from influencers and/or people they know. Seeing these people have things they don't creates pressure.
To help young people and others cope with mental health challenges, The NOOK Friends by Love Frankie, a Bangkok-based social and behavioural change creative agency, has collaborated with psychotherapist Pataradanai Setsuwan, better known as Koen from the boy band K-OTIC, to launch a vlog series titled WTF: What's This Feeling?. Available on facebook.com/nookfriends, the series consists of 10 episodes, with the first addressing loneliness this month.
Pataradanai, who is currently pursuing a doctorate in existential psychotherapy at Middlesex University in London and goes by they/them pronouns, explained that their vlog does not provide answers but encourages them to question themselves.
Pataradanai 'Koen' Setsuwan. (Photo © Love Frankie)
"Love Frankie and I believe we can create vlogs that provide a space where people can ask questions without feeling shame. I often tell people that if they want an answer, I do not have it, but they will discover more questions to ask themselves. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but we all can share the pain, success stories and mistakes in our lives. By sharing information, people who have never been through these difficulties can figure out which information suits them and apply it to their lives," explained Pataradanai.
In today's digital age, people can easily and quickly connect to one another through technology and social media. However, numerous people still feel isolated and lonely. The 32-year-old psychotherapist chose to address loneliness in their first vlog because they want to encourage people to be alone, but not lonely.
"Content on social media is designed to be short and is getting shorter. This leads people to seek 'instant happiness'. When people are used to instant happiness, other meaningful connections such as deep conversations and sharing feelings tend to diminish. People often do everything to distract themselves in order to avoid being lonely. While distracting oneself is not difficult, being with oneself and realising one's self-worth opens meaningful connections with others. The first vlog addresses these issues," said Pataradanai.
Pataradanai believes that support for mental health issues should be accessible, not shameful, and free of charge. In addition to WTF: What's This Feeling? vlogs, Pataradanai is working on their own project called Jood Pak Jai (A Resting Place For Your Heart) where they randomly visit public places and listen to each person who wants to talk.
"I worked as a volunteer psychotherapist in the UK for three years. Working with mental health issues is my passion and my aim is to provide this service free of charge. In the UK, clinics selected patients and asked me if I could handle the cases. I mostly accepted those cases. I wanted to bring free sessions to Thailand, but here, I do not work with any organisations or clinics. I prefer not to choose patients myself in order to avoid any bias," said Pataradanai. "For Jood Pak Jai, I will be at a random venue and then post on my social media when I arrive. This way, I do not select clients; they choose me instead. I will listen to each client for 10 to 50 minutes. The feedback has been overwhelming, with 50 to 100 people waiting for a session, but I can only take a maximum of nine cases."
Since all cases are confidential, the psychotherapist cannot disclose client details. They expressed sadness in discovering that people came to Jood Pak Jai seeking minimum requirements in healthy relationships, which was just to have someone listen to them.
"Venting their feelings to me may not make their problems disappear, but at least they feel that they do not have to go through that difficulty alone. They have someone who listens to them and accepts them as they are, without giving advice, attempting to change them or leading them on. I believe that many problems do not need solutions; just listening to them can make many problems go away," they said.
Pataradanai identifies themselves as non-binary and queer. As a public figure, they have received many negative comments. The psychotherapist encourages others to think carefully before leaving comments because everyone should take responsibility for their own words. They also advised that people leave negative comments according to their own experiences.
Above Pataradanai 'Koen' Setsuwan launches their Jood Pak Jai project. (Photo © facebook.com/koenfamily)
"When I got married and posted photos of my wedding on social media, some people criticised me for seeking attention. I married for love, but some people believe that male couples get married for attention. Their comments were not about me, but were related to their own experiences," Pataradanai explained.
When asked about their concert "Kamikaze Party Reunion 2023" on Oct 21 at Impact Arena, the singer joked that as they age, they experience body aches after practising b-boy moves. Although K-OTIC has not been active since 2012, the singer still keeps in touch with the other members.
"I am close to every member, especially Poppy Panu and Tomo Visava. They have been with me through every change in life. If I had to tell my younger self that there would be people like this, I would not have believed it. They love me the way I am and however I may change in the future."
Pataradanai does not have high expectations for WTF: What's This Feeling? and Jood Pak Jai. They mentioned that if the projects can help just one person, they will be satisfied with it.
Left Pataradanai performs with K-OTIC . (Photo © RS Group)
"I want to tell everyone that mental health issues are not something to be ashamed of. Please stop asking other people if your condition is serious enough to see a specialist. Stop asking permission from others for seeking help. If you feel that your condition is affecting your life, ask for help. It is terrific if you have a safe space to talk to someone close to you. If not, you should seek professional assistance."
