Mentally ill need a social lifeline

Learning to get by: Nurses conducting a domestic therapy class for recovering mental health patients as part of UMMC’s rehabilitation programme.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mental health patients who have just recovered from severe or long-term illnesses could be at risk of slipping back without psychosocial rehabilitation, a service that is sorely lacking in Malaysia.

According to the Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA), many hospitals and treatment centres focus more on symptom remission, but not all provide extended care to ensure patients can reintegrate into society.