IN conjunction with World Mental Health Day, which is commemorated annually on Oct 10, Gardenia Bakeries KL Sdn Bhd, with its social community partner, Cilisos Media, conducted a survey to gauge how Malaysians coped with lockdowns.
The Gardenia "Wellness Begins at Home Survey" will be helpful in identifying mental health red flags that most of us tend to miss.
"Malaysia has come a long way in raising awareness about mental health but more still needs to be done. The pandemic has become a magnifier of mental health challenges in the community and Gardenia believes on-going conversation is greatly needed to help navigate the new normal," says Gardenia KL general manager of corporate affairs and public relations, Hazlinah Harun.
The survey drew in responses from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, with a total of 1,029 respondents aged 17 to 60 years and above. The respondents comprised a mix of single individuals, single parents and married couples, with and without children.
In the survey, 67.1 per cent of respondents admitted that the Movement Control Order (MCO) had a profound effect on their mental health.
The challenges brought on by remote working and learning from home, included mental fatigue, anxiety or depression, and frequent agitation.
Sadly, 5 per cent of respondents admitted to having contemplated suicide, while 2.4 per cent indulged in acts of self-harm.
According to mental health activist and Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA) president and founder, Anita Abu Bakar, mental health has been neglected for far too long. When the pandemic hit, many were impacted psychologically and emotionally.
Celebrity mental health activist and patron of MIASA, Che Puan Sarimah Ibrahim, adds that it is absolutely crucial that we, as a society, are able to pick up on the signs and symptoms of a mental health concern to prevent it from becoming an illness.
"I believe that education on mental health as a whole is the key to achieving this nationwide. A healthy and productive nation is one that has its physical and mental health prioritised and cared for," she says.
When it came to eating schedules, about two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents said they ate whenever they felt like it, with approximately one-third (37 per cent) saying they ate at proper meal times. It's worth noting that 3.7 per cent said they went on a diet due to financial constraints.
Respondents who acknowledged having some form of mental illness with no access to medication cited having the least amount of sleep during the MCO, which was 31 minutes less than the average of six hours.
MCO restrictions also correlated with an increase in isolation among respondents with 24.8 per cent saying they did not interact with anyone outside their household for more than three days, and 12.2 per cent not interacting with anyone at all for more than three days.
Additionally, 16.6 per cent of respondents admitted to wearing the same clothes for three days or more while 4.43 per cent admitted to leaving the dishes unwashed, and 14.5 per cent ignored cleaning up their room or house until it was noticeably unkempt. These were earmarked as possible red flags by mental health experts.
A noteworthy trend picked up through the survey was the correlation between shared homes and mental health.
Those living with their nuclear families tended to experience less mental health issues compared to other groups. For example, those living with their children and spouses were 23 per cent less likely to report having emotional breakdowns or feeling anxious and depressed. They were also 40 per cent less likely to report contemplating suicide, and 62 per cent less likely to report inflicting acts of self-harm.
Respondents who were living alone were found to be 25 per cent more likely to develop anxiety and depression compared to the average Malaysian and 69 per cent more likely to contemplate suicide.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to MIASA via www.miasa.org.my which offers mental health assessment and consultation, counselling services, spiritual therapy, therapeutic assessment, psychological services and peer support. Alternatively, contact the MIASA 24-hour helpline at 1-800-820-066.