KUALA LUMPUR: Mental health support will soon be made available via the MySejahtera app, as part of the government's efforts to make its facilities and services more accessible to the people.
Announcing this, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it was important that more investment in mental health was made, not only to address the stigma attached to it, but also improving accessibility for those in need of treatment or support.
"I am big on using digital tools. We will soon able to make it accessible to offer services for those who wish to seek help like health counselling via MySejahtera. We have the facilities, but we need to make it more accessible.
"Good mental health is as important as maintaining physical health. No one should be left behind in seeking support and treatment. We must look after each other," he said in a virtual launch of National Mental Health Strategic Plan (2020-2025) and media campaign.
The event was held in conjunction with World Mental Health Day.
Themed 'Mental Health Care for all; Let's Make it a Reality', the campaign is aimed at focusing on equitable access to mental health care services to all without borders, in addressing the problem among Malaysians.
Khairy said he was also mulling to revive plans for the national centre of excellence for mental health.
Apart from suicidal tendencies, other mental health issues are emotional problems, acute stress disorders, depression, anxiety and burnout.
The rising trend in suicidal behaviour warranted urgent measures to tackle the people's mental health problem, he said.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic also contributed to stress and anxiety, and compounded by socio-economic problems, the number of suicide cases had risen over the past few months.
He said the ministry also recently announced the move to decriminalise suicide through the proposed amendment of Section 309 of the Penal Code.
Khairy said the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 report revealed almost half a million individuals aged 16 and above were reported to have suffered depression, with a prevalence of 2.3 per cent.
He, however, noted that it might not reflect the real situation in Malaysia, as more people could have suffered from mental health issues.
"The pandemic has been really challenging and had a huge impact on our lives. I don't want Malaysians to feel alone. You should not feel that you're alone.
"In conjunction with the World Mental Health Day, I would like to let everyone know that we are here and we are willing to listen. We'll get through this together," he said.
Apart from providing mental health support to the people, inter-agency approach was also crucial in addressing the root cause of the problem, he said.
During the session, Alliance for Safe Community chairman and KL Befrienders patron Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye called for the government to allocate more funds in next year's budget for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have been playing an active role in assisting the Health Ministry to promote mental health.
Those feeling distressed or suicidal, the Befrienders KL offers emotional support. Its 24-hour helpline can be reached at 03-7627 2929.