PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has an average ratio of one psychiatrist for every 100,000 mental patients.
Announcing this today, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam said there are currently only 360 registered psychiatrists in the country; 190 are in government hospitals while 170 are in private hospitals.
Of the total, only 13 are clinical psychiatrists.
"The number is definitely not enough to meet the optimal demand of the mental patients in country. However, Malaysia has made progress by offering wider mental health treatment in 48 hospitals compared to before where only three or four hospitals in the country offered treatment and counseling," he told a press conference today.
Dr S Subramaniam said there is a pressing need to increase the number of clinical psychiatrists in the country.
"The course is only offered as a master's programme at the moment which many do not pursue," he said.
Clinical psychiatrists are physicians who specialise in using clinical practices in the treatment of mental illnesses and disorders, including bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and addictions.
Talk are ongoing in the ministry to increase publicity on the programme, to offer more places for students to pursue the programme and to also encourage ministry staff to take up the programme in efforts to provide wider help to those in need of counseling, he added.
Last week, the New Straits Times reported that one in three Malaysians suffer from mental health issues, with many failing to address the problem for fear of being labelled “mentally ill”.
Dr Subramaniam said the findings of the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) conducted by the ministry was worrying.
"This also shows that 4.2 million people suffer from mental health, with the highest prevalence among those aged 16 to 19 years and those from low income families," he said.
He said among the factors that may have contributed to the more than two-folds rise over the past 10 years, include financial difficulties, unemployment, work-related stress, family issues, poor parenting and other environmental factors.
"Poor coping skills and poor social support can further worsen one's mental health.
"Despite the availability of effective treatment, persons with mental health disorders may not seek help due to various reasons like social stigma," he added.