KUALA LUMPUR: The establishment of a mental health institute (MHI) can be a catalyst in dealing with rising mental health-related issues in the country, according to a psychiatric expert.
However, Dr A’isyah Che Rahimi of the Department of Psychiatry, Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Medical Sciences, said the functions of the institute must be fine-tuned for the relevant resources to be optimised efficiently as Malaysia already has the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH) in Cyberjaya.
“We already have a paediatric institute for children, the National Heart Institute (IJN) and the National Cancer Institute, but we do not have an institute dedicated to mental health,” she told Bernama.
Yesterday, while tabling the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) Mid-Term Review in Parliament, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the government’s plan to establish a mental health institute to deal with the nation’s mental health issues which are becoming increasingly concerning.
Dr A’isyah said the effort shows the government’s commitment to address the situation by making it a priority.
“The 2019 National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS) shows an increase in depression among Malaysians, while the 2022 NHMS found one in eight teenagers have suicidal thoughts and one in four experience depression,” she said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Public Health Organisation advisor Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said such an institute can also train teaching and clinical staff to prevent, identify and provide early treatment for those going through mental health problems.
“It is an excellent idea and perfect timing to set up a mental health institute,” he said, adding that a Health Ministry’s study found a prevalence of mental health issues across the board in terms of age groups and socio-economic status. – BERNAMA
