A MEDICAL student is advocating for increased awareness and understanding of mental health, describing the issue as deeply personal to her.
Miss Islands Accommodation Peggy Ravusiro, one of seven contestants vying for the Miss Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North 2025 crown, stated her advocacy focused on making mental health more visible, accessible, and better understood across all communities.
“Before people end up in crisis rooms, these problems often begin at the family dinner table,” she said.
Ms Ravusiro said many mental health challenges were rooted in early childhood development and often went unnoticed until later in life.
“The most impressionable years are between ages one and five. That’s when our choices and behaviours are shaped whether we fall into addiction, engage in risky behaviour, or form unhealthy beliefs about gender roles.”
She said there were also silent struggles faced by young people in the medical profession, including feelings of burnout, depression, and imposter syndrome.
“As a medical student, I’ve seen and felt it myself. One moment, I’m watching a patient pass away, and minutes later, I’m expected to move on and care for someone else.”
She said the pressure to remain strong often meant medical professionals neglected their own mental health needs.
“We support each other, yes, but it’s not always enough. We’re trained to care for others, but no one really checks in on us.”
She believes mental health connects to wider social problems such as domestic violence, substance abuse, and gender inequality.