KUALA LUMPUR: A survey on teenagers and children living in People's Housing Projects (PPR) in the Klang Valley found that more than 12.3 per cent of those aged between 10 and 17 have mental health problems and are at risk of suicide.
Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the study, carried out by the Institute for Health Behavioural Research and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), was conducted on 1,578 children and teenagers in 37 PPRs here and in Selangor.
The study was focused on factors which impacted a child or teenager's psychological well-being, strategies they applied when faced with certain situations, and their behaviour when seeking help for such matters.
He said most minors in this group suffered from mental health issues due to economic problems brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as uncomfortable living spaces.
"We are also looking into factors such as the very limited space available in PPR (units), which is compounded further when a large family occupies a unit too small to accommodate them."This will cause a teenager to leave the house to relieve their stress and consume prohibited substances.
"The population density at a PPR, which is around 4,000 to 5,000 people, puts too much pressure on them either due to the lifestyle of the neighbourhood or the lack of love and affection they get from their families. This will lead to them seeking affection from outside," Lukanisman said after launching the 'Together with the Community Programme: Mental Health Awareness Among PPR Residents' at the Pinggiran Bukit Jalil PPR here, today.
He added that police statistics showed there was a slight decrease in cases of mental health problems leading to suicide within the community last year, where 981 cases were recorded compared with 1,142 in 2021.
"Despite the slight decrease, the number of suicides is still high. More systematic attention and immediate action to prioritise the mental well-being of the community is required."
Lukanisman said the Health Ministry has implemented various initiatives to ensure the mental well-being of the community, including setting up a Psychosocial Support Helpline during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Online analysis showed that out of the 308,445 calls received from between March 25 to Dec 31 last year, 228,480 (72.2 per cent) of them were from people who needed emotional support and counseling due to chronic stress, depression and anxiety during the pandemic.
"We are seeking help from the Communications and Digital Ministry to make calls to the hotline free of charge . By doing that, callers need not worry about having enough credit when calling in for help."