Malaysia sees sharp rise in mental health issues among youth and adults

THE prevalence of mental health problems among Malaysians aged 16 and above has nearly doubled since 2019, affecting an estimated one million people, according to the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) conducted by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad highlighted that children and adolescents are similarly affected, with mental health issues among those aged five to 15 rising from 7.9 per cent (424,000) in 2019 to 16.5 per cent (922,318) in 2023.

“For young people, most mental health challenges are influenced by social factors such as bullying, risky behaviour, substance abuse, low self-esteem, and high personal expectations, all of which contribute to elevated stress, anxiety, and depression,” he said in a written reply to the Dewan Rakyat.

The minister was responding to a question from Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (BN-Kuala Pilah) regarding MOH’s strategies to improve access to mental health care for youth, particularly in terms of service availability and early support.

Dr Dzulkefly outlined several initiatives, including the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH), which leads the implementation of the National Mental Health Policy and coordinates mental health programmes, including those targeting youth.

Other initiatives include the Help with Empathy and Love (HEAL) 15555 crisis helpline, providing emotional support and counselling, as well as public awareness campaigns such as ‘Let’s TALK’ and ‘Stop Stigma’ to encourage individuals with mental health concerns to seek treatment.

“Collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports involves advocacy programmes for young people through existing initiatives such as National Youth Day and National Sports Day, alongside the development of educational materials for youth mental health advocacy with IMPACT, KBS.

“We also work with the Institute of Youth Research (IYRES) to monitor the Youth Mental Health Index, and recently developed the Quick Guide for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Support for young people,” he added. - February 27, 2026