BRIEF PSYCHOEDUCATION ON SELF-COMPASSION: A PATHWAY TO PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG MIGRANT LABORERS IN PENANG (MALAYSIA)
Abstract
Migrant workers, especially laborers, experience quite complex problems, such as exploitation, health problems, discrimination, intense stress, and legal uncertainty. In particular, psychologically they have poor mental health and low well-being. These problems are also experienced by Indonesian or Indonesian-descended migrants in Penang, Malaysia. This study aims to test the effectiveness of a short psychological education program on self-compassion in improving psychological well-being among migrant workers in Penang, Malaysia. Using a quasi-experimental design with one-group post-test-only design, 46 participants underwent a two-hour psychological education session that combined lectures, interactive games, and group discussions. Participants were evaluated using the Indonesian version of the Self-Compassion Scale and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Descriptive analysis showed that 91.3% of participants scored in the moderate to high self-compassion category. Spearman's rho test showed a significant positive correlation between self-compassion and psychological well-being (ρ = 0.256, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that even a brief intervention can increase awareness of self-compassion and support emotional resilience in a vulnerable population. The program was well received, with participants demonstrating strong emotional engagement and reporting a deeper understanding of how to care for themselves mentally. This study highlights the importance of accessible, culturally sensitive mental health interventions for migrant workers, and emphasizes self-compassion as a practical strategy to support their psychological well-being.
Downloads
References
Adebayo, B., Nichols, P., Albrecht, M. A., Brijnath, B., & Heslop, K. (2020). Investigating the Impacts of Acculturation Stress on Migrant Care Workers in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 32(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659620947810
Alsamman, S., Dajani, R., & Al-Delaimy, W. K. (2024). Self-compassion and association with distress, depression, and anxiety among displaced Syrians: A population-based study. PLOS ONE, 19(9), e0309051. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309051
Fadhil, A. (2021). Evaluasi Properti Psikometris Skala Psychological Well-Being (PWB) Versi Indonesia. Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai, 5(2), 4666–4674.
Gao, J., & McLellan, R. (2018). Using Ryff’s scales of psychological well-being in adolescents in mainland China. BMC Psychology, 6(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-018-0231-6
Green, O., & Ayalon, L. (2018). Violations of workers’ rights and exposure to work-related abuse of live-in migrant and live-out local home care workers – a preliminary study: Implications for health policy and practice. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 7(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-018-0224-1
Gui, Y., Berry, J. W., & Zheng, Y. (2012). Migrant worker acculturation in China. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(4), 598–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.11.007
Hargreaves, S., Rustage, K., Nellums, L. B., McAlpine, A., Pocock, N., Devakumar, D., Aldridge, R. W., Abubakar, I., Kristensen, K. L., Himmels, J. W., Friedland, J. S., & Zimmerman, C. (2019). Occupational health outcomes among international migrant workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 7(7), e872–e882. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30204-9
Lever, J., & Milbourne, P. (2017). The Structural Invisibility of Outsiders: The Role of Migrant Labour in the Meat-Processing Industry. Sociology, 51(2), 306–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038515616354
Marsel, B. Y., Sudey, N. S., & Nau, N. U. W. (2022). Analisis Strategi Kebijakan Migrasi Internasional Pemerintahan Jokowi Jilid I Dalam Penanganan Human Trafficking. Global Political Studies Journal, 6(2), 107–122. https://doi.org/10.34010/gpsjournal.v6i2.7180
PERMAI. (2023, October 18). Tentang Kami—PERMAI Penang. PERMAI. https://permai.my.id/tentang-kami/
Ryff, C. D. (2014). Psychological well-being revisited: Advances in the science and practice of eudaimonia. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 83(1), 10–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000353263
Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice-friendly meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(5), 467–487. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20593
Sugianto, D., Suwartono, C., & Sutanto, S. H. (2020). Reliabilitas dan validitas Self-Compassion Scale versi Bahasa Indonesia. Jurnal Psikologi Ulayat, 7(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.24854/jpu107
Syafitri, N., Lubis, R., Indrawan, Y. F., & Choong, T. C. (2024). Self-Compassion: Unveiling Mental Health Through Emotion Regulation in High-school Students. Tazkiya Journal of Psychology, 12(1), Article 1.
