By Dr Rashed Mustafa Sarwar
I AM heartbroken by the news about the 872 young people in Malaysia who took their lives from January 2019 up to May this, as reported by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). Children between 15 and 18 years old made up 51% of the total 1,708 suicide cases recorded in that time period.
COVID-19 and mitigation efforts such as the lockdown have had negative effects on the mental health of many including our youth. Suicide cases almost doubled on average across all age groups in the five months this year (94 cases a month) compared to 2019 (51 cases a month).
The prolonged lockdown has deprived young people of the social connections that are crucial at this time of life. Children have been out of school and missed out on learning and socialisation milestones. Their parents may have lost their jobs, adding to their stress. Worse, children may be stuck at home with an abuser.
Mental health concerns have long been a neglected part of one’s well-being. This is a wake-up call to do more for the mental health of all children in Malaysia and give it the investment it deserves. It has always been a matter of life and death; it is time it is treated as such.
Immediate investment is needed to expand mental health services including systematic and upgraded psychological screening and profession support for young people in schools and communities.
Additionally, there is an opportunity to build on parenting programmes to ensure that children from vulnerable families get the support and protection they need at home. It is only through a holistic, multi-pronged approach can we give children the support they need.
Meanwhile, there are free helplines that children and young people can call to seek help and receive emotional support as the follows:
Talian Kasih – 15999 (24/7)
Talian BuddyBear – 1800-18-2327(BEAR) (daily 12pm-12am)
Befrienders – 03 7627 2929 (24/7) – July 1, 2021
Dr Rashed Mustafa Sarwar is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative to Malaysia and special representative to Brunei Darussalam.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
