More Focus On Promoting Mental Health

More focus on promoting mental health, says Lam Thye

November 22nd, 2009

MENTAL health education and promotion, which aims to address the rise of psychosocial problems in the society, are essential in Malaysia's aspiration to become a developed nation, said the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

"Promoting mental health requires joint efforts between the government and relevant non-governmental organisation as well as volunteers.

"A comprehensive community mental health programme is therefore needed to encourage the community to be better informed about mental health issues and how they can play an effective role in promoting mental health and helping the mentally ill," he said in a statement here today.

Lee said there should be less stigma towards those with mental health disorders and the reference to "crazy" and "insane" should be discouraged.

In previous years, mental health was a low priority topic for the government and the community compared to other health problems but increasingly, it gained more prominence, he said.

"In Malaysia, we need to do more for those who suffer from mental illness. On the welfare service front, the government should include the mentally ill as disabled persons and accord them special privileges in employment to help them return to society and not be burden to society," Lee said.

According to Health Ministry statistics, 400,227 mental patients sought treatment in government hospitals last year, an increase of 15.6 per cent compared with 346,196 people in 2007.

He said the Third National Health and Morbidity survey in 2006 found that more teenagers suffered from mental health problems.

About 19.5 per cent of the older age group (70 to 74 years) and 14.4 per cent of the youngest (between 16 and 19 years) were also more prone to having mental health problems than the rest of the group.

Mental illness was also more prevalent among females at 12.1 per cent compared to males at 10.4 per cent.

Lee said in Malaysia, the suicide rate had increased to between nine to 12 persons per 100,000 population compared to eight in the 1980s.

BERNAMA