KOTA KINABALU: Families, schools and communities need to play a greater role in strengthening mental health support for young people, said Sabah Women, Health and People’s Well-being Minister Datuk Julita Majungki (pic).
She said families, in particular, played an important role in shaping values and helping children navigate challenges, including excessive mobile phone use.
“Parents have a role in setting boundaries within the family, particularly while their children can still be guided,” she said in a statement after opening the state-level World Population Day mental health seminar at Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic here yesterday.
Julita said people were now living in a world that was increasingly busy and noisy, yet paradoxically could also become increasingly lonely.
Based on findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey, the prevalence of depression among adolescents in Malaysia increased from 17.7% in 2012 to 26.9% in 2022, she said.
She said the proportion of adolescents reporting feelings of loneliness also increased from 8.1% to 16.2% over the same period.
“Mental health issues cannot be addressed by the health sector alone but require the involvement of families, schools, religious institutions, non-governmental organisations and communities,” she said.
“As parents, we do not necessarily know how to deal with every problem.
“We also need guidance to strengthen our knowledge and ability to address challenges within the family,” Julita added.
Sabah is also strengthening mental health support through collaboration with the Health Ministry under the Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat-Sabah Maju Jaya programme, while the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services Team is also being further strengthened, she said.
Julita also called on all parties to continue listening to young people, reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and create an environment that supports them in seeking help.
