More psychological help needed in the community

THERE’S a need to improve access to mental health care in Malaysia for society at large.

This is especially to cope with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on our mental health.

Even under normal circumstances, Malaysia needs more human resources in this field to meet the needs of the population, says Malaysian Mental Health Association president Prof Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj.

“Many professionals are also focused in urban areas particularly the Klang Valley and Penang, ” says Dr Mohanraj.

However, compared to many other countries in the region, he notes that Malaysia has better accessibility to mental health care.

“With the effects of the pandemic, our resources are going to be further stretched particularly with regards to psychologists and counsellors, ” he says.

It was reported in June last year that there is still an insufficient number of psychologists to provide counselling in the country, as the counsellor-to-individual ratio is 1:52,000 when the ratio should be 1:500.

Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah acknowledges that the numbers may not be enough for now.

“Realising that mental health issues need to be addressed at a community level, the ministry

in October 2020, has initiated the intake of 200 new counsellors (psychology officers) to be mobilised at districts and health clinics.

“This is to strengthen mental health services as well as substance abuse and violence injury prevention, ” Dr Noor Hisham says.

At present, mental health services are provided by 66 government hospitals, 1,126 health clinics and 28 community mental health centres nationwide, he adds.

“In terms of resources in mental health, there are a total of 385 psychiatrists in the whole country, of which 204 are providing services in the ministry’s hospitals.

“In addition, a total of 30 clinical psychologists and 148 psychology officers are providing counselling and mental health services in facilities under the ministry, ” he says.

At the primary care level, a total of 439 family medicine specialists provide integrated mental health support in health clinics.

“However, the responsibility in addressing mental health issues lies beyond the ministry.

“There should be a mobilisation of counselors and social workers at the community level from relevant ministries and agencies to address mental health problems where contributing factors are social issues such as financial problems, basic needs (living space), unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence, bullying and physical abuse and others, ” Dr Noor Hisham points out.

He says there is a need to empower the community in terms of training and early identification of mental health issues and disorders to facilitate help seeking among those in need.

Meanwhile, as people try their best to cope, some Malaysians admit to feeling pandemic fatigue.

Marketing executive Annette Raj, 29, says she had hoped that 2021 would be less stressful, but so far, things felt like a “prolonged 2020”.

“I’ve gotten used to certain things. But I can’t help but worry about things like job security as the MCO2.0 has a direct impact on businesses, ” she says.

Annette also says she feels down everytime the daily new Covid-19 cases are reported, as they are always so high.

“The other night, I dreamt that I had tested positive for the coronavirus and panicked.

“To cope better, I try to stay in touch with family and friends, ” she adds.

E-commerce manager Denton Leong, 32, says the pandemic does weigh on him mentally sometimes.

“Things that I used to look forward to and enjoy such as watching TV or gaming seem less enjoyable. During my down time, I just want to sleep these days, ” he adds.

But on the positive side, due to remote working, he has learnt to adjust and be flexible on how he approaches certain situations.

“It has also helped me learn how to manage my internal dialogue better - how to think more rationally and how to structure my thoughts better since I have time to think, ” Leong says.

Nonetheless, what he misses the most is “having the choice to do anything at almost anytime.” “This includes catching a late movie in the cinema, going to night markets to shop, having supper at cafes and getting a foot massage at the spa.

“I miss having the freedom to be able to get up and go to do any of these at any time, ” he expresses.

Thankfully for Leong, the e-commerce industry is coping well during such times and he does not really worry about job security.

“I try to eat well, get regular exercise and rest to boost my immunity during such times, ” he says.