KUALA LUMPUR: A comprehensive action plan will be implemented next year to address mental health among young Malaysians, says Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
The Deputy Health Minister said the move was necessary as almost a million teenagers and youths in the country suffer from mental health issues including depression.
"Based on the recent National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) report, mental health issues affecting teenagers and youths in schools and universities had increased from 7.9% or 424,000 in 2019 to 16.5% or 922,318 in 2023.
"This represents almost a two-fold increase," he said when replying a question raised by Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH-Ledang) in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Dec 4).
He pointed out that incidents of attempted suicide and suicidal thoughts among youths had also increased over a 10-year period.
"Suicidal thoughts among youths had increased from 7.9% to 13.1% between 2012 and 2022.
"Youths who had made suicide plans had also increased from 6.42% to 10%," he added.
He said that youths who had attempted suicides or were in the process of doing so, had also increased from 6.81% to 9.5% in the same period.
Syed Ibrahim suggested that the ministry take a more innovative outreach approach when dealing with mental health issues affecting youths as many are relying on devices and social media nowadays.
Syed Ibrahim also suggested that the ministry provides targeted budget to deal with mental health issues at the community level such as what is being done in Peru and New Zealand.
To a supplementary question by Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar), Lukanisman said that there are several factors linked to the increase in mental health issues among youths.
"One of the factor is how homes are designed and urban planning involving high density housing such as PPR housing (People Housing Programme)
"Suicide is more pervalent in such communities as it gives rise to suicidal thoughts among the youths living there," he said.
As such, Lukisman said that the Health Ministry is working closely with the Housing and Local Government Ministry on how to develop PPR housing which are more conducive towards mental health.
"Mental health is a crucial segment of society and investment towards it is important to ensure the nation's productivity.
"The nation will be faced with a huge problem in the future if we allow our youths to face mental health issues on their own," he added.
He said that the ministry is currently developing a Children and Youth Mental Health Action Plan which is expected to be launched next year.
Earlier, Lukanisman informed the House that the ministry has 1,088 health clinics, 68 hospitals and 37 community mental health centres providing access to those requiring help for mental health issues.
Besides this, he said that there are 200 physiological officers based in the districts and health clinics.
Currently, there are 18 child psychiatrist specialists with the ministry with plans to increase to 30 by 2027.
Meanwhile, to a supplementary question by Tan Kar Hing (PH-Gopeng), Lukanisman urged bullying victims at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) to come forward for counselling.
He also said that mental health screenings should also be carried out on students at UPNM.
He also urged the Higher Education Ministry to consistently conduct mental health screenings at institutions of higher learning in the country.
