Quit tiptoeing around mental illness, specialist tells govt, public

GEORGE TOWN – There is a pressing need to destigmatise mental illness, said a hypnotherapist, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbating a health issue that has been projected to be the second-biggest ailment afflicting Malaysians after heart disease.

International College of Clinical Hypnotherapy Practitioners Asia regional director Synthia Surin called on the government to change its approach to treatment, and on employers and the public to stop viewing the issue as taboo.

“We treat it as a taboo. We are shy to admit that we undergo counselling for it,” she told The Vibes on World Mental Health Day yesterday.

“We dare not admit that we are seeing a psychiatrist, and worse still, employers will not shortlist prospects with a history of mental issues.”

According to the 2015 National Health and Morbidity Survey, three out of 10 Malaysians aged 16 and above experience poor mental health, and mental illness is predicted to be the second-biggest health issue in the country after cardiovascular diseases by this year.

Surin said proper education on mental health is lacking, and the coronavirus crisis has only made things worse for sufferers.

The Health Ministry must provide a good support system, she said.

“Also, society needs to play its role. Be supportive, not dismissive, of people with (mental) ailments, especially in an age where no job offers long-term employability and there is an economic hurdle to overcome daily.

“People become suicidal if they have no one to turn to.”

Her comments come after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s social media post urging for sufficient government funding to address the problem.

“Mental health is one of the most neglected and underfunded areas of public health,” said the PKR president, adding that the issue has become even more pronounced due to the pandemic.

“In Malaysia, a recent survey found that 44% of Malaysians said their mental wellness has been affected since the pandemic began.

“The unprecedented changes that we are experiencing as a result of the pandemic have a profound effect, especially in relation to increased anxiety, depression and loneliness due to social isolation and the stress caused by the loss of job or income, and the struggle to provide for one’s family.”

He said children are especially vulnerable, “falling behind as a consequence of schools being shut, a stop to co-curricular activities, and limitations on interactions with their friends”. – The Vibes, October 11, 2020