Health Minister: Mental health top priority in Covid-19 pandemic

PETALING JAYA: Mental health is a top priority for the Health Ministry in its fight against against the Covid-19 pandemic, says Health minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

In a statement in conjunction with World Mental Health Day on Saturday (Oct 10), he said it was a priority because it was something that affected frontliners, patients and society as a whole.

He added that the Ministry had taken various steps to ensure that mental health was addressed and treated at all levels for health-carers as well as society.

“This year is the most challenging as the whole world has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected our physical health and impacted our mental health, ” said Dr Adham.

He added that society had been impacted emotionally by worry, fear, isolation, uncertainty and stress due to the changes in life's norms.

“This includes workers who risk losing their jobs, livelihood and financial constraints. Frontliners are not spared from emotional problems and stress due to their duties, doubled work or being burned out, ” said Dr Adham.

He said the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) last year found a prevalence of depression in those aged 16 and above is 2.3% or nearly half a million Malaysians.

In 2017, the NHMS found that teens between 13 and 17 showed a 10% trend of prevalence towards the idea of suicide, an increase compared to 7.9% in 2009.

“Based on this scenario, it is important for mental health to be part of the government’s health agenda, ” he said.

Dr Adham also said the Health Ministry had launched the Let’s Talk Healthy Minds campaign in Oct 2019, adding that it catered to everyone regardless of race, religion, age and gender.

He also said that amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Ministry provided the Mental health and psychosocial services to targeted groups through a team.

“The Health Ministry, with Mercy Malaysia, has created psychosocial support and counselling hotlines to assist staff and health workers who have to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, ” he said.

He added that people could get mental healthcare through four mental health institutions, 1,001 health clinics, 66 hospitals and 29 community mental health centres throughout the country.

Dr Adham also congratulated Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan Al Sultan Abdullah, who was recently appointed the international patron of the World Mental Health Day 2020.