KUALA LUMPUR: Apart from the stigma faced by people with mental illness, strong cultural beliefs deter those suffering from mental disorders from getting treatment.
Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ahmad Zahari said instead of visiting hospitals or health clinics, many sought treatment from traditional healers or bomohs.
“Sometimes, families of mental illness patients believe that the illness does not require conventional treatment.
“It is common to come across family members who think that the patient is affected by black magic, which is why they seek traditional treatment.
“We, psychiatrists, understand that it is hard to change their mindset.
“However, my advice is to please consider conventional treatment,” he told the New Sunday Times.
“Quite a number of patients were referred to us only when it is too late,” said Dr Muhsin, who is the vice-president of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association (MPA).
“For instance, there was a father who came to the centre’s emergency unit after he was kicked by his son, who was found to have suffered from mental illness,” he said.
Those who wanted to seek treatment, he said, would have to undergo clinical assessment, physical examination and blood tests to allow psychiatrists to rule out other types of illnesses.
“It is a lengthy process that takes at least two hours. In some cases, one day is not enough.
“It is not easy to obtain important information, such as a patient’s family background, in our assessment.
“Before reaching a conclusion, we need to explore the history of these individuals, including if they had been sexually abused or if they were involved in drugs.”
Most psychiatrists, he said, were moving towards community-based treatment rather than institutionalisation of patients, unless the person developed chronic symptoms of mental illness leaning towards schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
“For instance, South Korea, which is dealing with the highest suicide rate due to mental illness, is adopting occupational therapy for its patients.
“It is important for patients with mild cases of mental illness to rehabilitate into society.
“Socialising with other people provides patients with a platform to ventilate their emotions and subsequently help them in their treatment.”