In a time when mental health issues are slowly becoming a priority of healthcare around the world, many are struggling to ensure that mental health issues in Malaysia receive the same priority. However, the advocacy for mental health issues in the country continues to be a Herculean task due to the enduring stigma about mental health as a whole.
A combination of stigma and the current lack of a robust policy from the government to address these issues continue to exacerbate the existing issues. However, it is not entirely hopeless as many people, including the Malaysian government, are starting to take initiatives to address the issue fervently.
Mental Health Issues in Malaysia: An Overview
To better understand the stigma that surrounds the perception of mental health issues in Malaysia, the stigma originally comes from the popular conception of mental illness itself.
In the country, it is common for people who are affected by mental health issues to be considered as being possessed by demons or having “spiritual sickness”. Other than religious perceptions, people affected by mental health issues in Malaysia are often seen as weak-hearted, over-sensitive, and crazy.
Furthermore, from many cases of health crises in Malaysia’s history (including the COVID-19 pandemic), mental health issues continue to be an elephant in the room for public health policy in Malaysia.
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, about one in five Malaysians in the age of 16 and above is affected by mental health issues. Referred to as the “hidden epidemic”, the report also illustrated that about 424,000 children in Malaysia were affected with mental health problems.
In a startling revelation, a survey conducted by the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2022 revealed that from 960 Malaysian youth between the ages of 10 and 19, almost one in two adolescents experienced anxiety. In the same report, about one in three teenagers have experienced depression and stress.
As these problems are combined with suicidal tendencies and a sense of loneliness, negative outcomes such as low academic performance, poor class attendance, and other related issues continue to be the focal point of many mental health issues in Malaysia.
In the same vein, a report released by Malaysia’s Department of Statistics in 2022 stated that there was an increase of depression and anxiety rates within the society from 20.9% to 59.2% and from 32.3% to 55.1%, respectively.
Ongoing Efforts to Tackle the Issues
Despite the worrying increase in cases of mental health issues throughout Malaysia over the years, awareness to overcome these issues also increases simultaneously. Several publications and statements from mass media, academia, and the government have started to emphasize the role of family support, early diagnosis, and proper treatment of mental health issues.
In July 2023, Ramkarpal Singh, the deputy law and institutional reform minister of Malaysia, stated that it is time for the Malaysian government to amend the Mental Health Act 2001 to give a better definition of “mental incapacity”, which includes Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, and dementia.
Similarly, Dr. Suhaiza Hanim Mohamad Zailani the Director at Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya also emphasized the role of proper treatment of mental health issues to address socio-economic problems that affect society, including the Malaysian youth.
Another publication also stated that proper living and learning conditions for young children, teenagers, and emerging adults are also the key to addressing mental health issues in Malaysia. By staying fit, according to the publication, young people have a higher tendency to become more emotionally stable during their formative years.
In June 2023, the Malaysian Parliament decided to pass three bills about the decriminalization of suicide, which was seen as a momentous decision to address the common taboo topic in the country. As many Malaysians have criticized the highly controversial Section 309 of the country’s Penal Code about suicide, they praise this decision that in the end may motivate people to be more open about their troubled mental conditions and alleviate the problem of increasing suicide rates.
Role of Film Festivals in Addressing Mental Health Issues
As proof of the increasing awareness about mental health issues in Malaysia, many people are taking matters into their own hands to address these issues. One such initiative is the “My Mind on Film”, a film festival from the collaboration of the Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA), Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing of HELP University, and Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC).
The film festival is dubbed as the first of its kind in Malaysia, as the film festival strives to spread awareness about mental health and reduce the societal stigma that surrounds it.
In the current year of 2023, the film festival is currently holding its third season, with the theme “Revival”. To spread the word about the film festival, young filmmakers from around the world are highly encouraged to send submissions to the festival to better reveal the struggle to ensure the preservation of mental health in the Malaysian context.
Going Forward
No one can claim that the advocacy of mental health issues in Malaysia is going to be a simple endeavor.
Despite the culturally prominent stigma about mental health and a nascent initiative from the government to be more serious about these issues, the existence of such initiatives above has proven that Malaysian people are struggling to erase the stigma and are more politically active about mental health concerns.
If anything, that is precisely the kind of spirit that Malaysians need to make their society more inclusive and welcoming to all kinds of people, including those affected with mental health issues.
About the Author
Rizqi Wisnu Mauludino
Goes by Rizqi, he is a passionate writer from Indonesia with an interest in just anything that catches his attention. Captivated in so many topics ranging from foreign policy to IT as well as anything related to pop culture. Looks forward to being a specialist in writing articles about Japanese studies.
About the Artist
She is Rana Fanindya Putri Murad. Just call her Putri is one of the members of the multimedia team at AYO POST. A woman who loves graphic design and is delighted with the new knowledge she learns. In her free time, she likes to read books, try new recipes, and do other fun activities.