AN estimated 40% of Malaysians will battle mental health problems in their lifetime, said Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today.

She said based on a Health Ministry report last year, 18,336 individuals suffered from various levels of emotional stress.

Of the total, 11,811 suffered mild stress, moderate stress (3,680) and severe stress (1,682). 

Dr Wan Azizah said that society should do away with the attitude of isolating those with mental health problems and provide them a helping hand instead. 

“In fact, some Muslims define mental health problems as a lack of faith and advise those affected to pray more, fear Allah or completely forget their situation.

“Why do we easily sympathise with, say, those who suffer a broken arm but distance ourselves from those suffering from emotional stress?” she said in officiating a World Mental Health Day programme in Putrajaya today. 

Present was Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Mental Health Foundation chairman Hashim Meon. 

She said various mental health issues were also cropping up among teenagers, such as internet addiction, smoking and drug abuse. 

She said the reports were a worrying sign of the deterioration of mental health among youth in the country. 

“We do not want to see our youth with various mental and psychology health issues as they approach adulthood. 

“As a responsible government, we have to plan, not only in terms of services needed, care and others but also preventive measures, early intervention and resilience-building,” she said. 

She added mental health education should also be taught at an early stage as it was an important aspect of daily life. – October 11, 2018.