PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will continue to expand efforts to promote awareness on mental health with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and local community leaders.
At the same time, the ministry was also ready to work with organisations or bodies advocating mental health.
Health Minister Dr Zulkefly Ahmad urged stake holders including NGOs and other governmental agencies to work together and increase the awareness level on mental health and get rid of the stigma that mental problems are a disease.
“Apart from government efforts, family and community also play a role in helping their family members or their friends so that they can achieve good mental health. Their support is important,” he said in a statement.
He said through the National Mental Health Policy, the ministy had taken various steps including promoting, preventing, treatment and rehabilitation through services provided at hospitals and health clinics.
“Promotional efforts are undertaken through Healthy Community Empowers the Nation (Kospen) programme at community level as well as at workplaces which includes mental health scope.
“At primary level, screening services and intervention on mental health is provided in 948 health clinics, and psychiatric and rehabilitation services are given in 48 government hospitals and 22 Mentari mental health community centres throughout the country,” he said.
The Health Ministry had also increased joint efforts with other governmental agencies such as Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and Youth and Sports Ministry along side NGOs in mental health activities such as in the aspect of post-disaster psychosocial support and suicide prevention.
He said that the World Health Organisaton had also declared Oct 10 every year as the World Mental Health Day.
“National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2015 showed that 29.2 per cent of those above 16 years of age suffered from mental health problems, three times more than in 1996.
“The same survey also found that 18.3 per cent of those between 13 and 17 years of age suffered from depression and suicidal tendency, which had increased from 7.9 per cent in 2012 to 10 per cent in 2015,” he said.
Dr Zulkefly also said the theme “Young Generation And Mental Health in Current Change of Time“, would focus on promoting mental health problems among youths.