LETTERS: I welcome the initiative by the Health Ministry, together with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in designing a mental health action plan for children and teenagers.
The findings from the last few National Morbidity and Health Surveys indicated that the prevalence of mental health issues among school children is increasing.
This can be attributed to the intense burden faced by students from the demand for academic excellence, peer pressure, and even family discords. Some may also be facing issues such as bullying and mental disorders.
Family is the most basic unit of society, and parents play an essential role in a child's mental well-being.
Due to economic challenges, many couples are in the workforce and as a result, could not spend enough time with their children. This does not bode well for their development as childhood experiences greatly impact mental health and can affect their adult life.
Therefore, I hope with the release of the guidelines for flexible working arrangements by the Human Resources Ministry, more employers will be encouraged to consider such arrangements for their staff, especially those who are parents to younger children.
Parents should continuously engage their children in conversation and provide a safe space where children are able to express their emotions freely without being judged.
This can boost their mental well-being and reduce stigma.
Children who can communicate well with their parents feel supported and are more likely to reach out and share their struggles.
We are inevitably relying more on technology in this modern world. While there is no doubt that technology has brought much advancement into our lives, it is a double-edged sword, especially when it comes to gadget use and social media for children.
Parents need to observe their children's online presence to prevent unhealthy behaviour, addiction, negative influences as well as cyberbullying.
As children spend a considerable amount of time at school to learn, they should be equipped with skills that can enhance their mental well-being.
School syllabi can include mental health literacy, which can strengthen a child's problem-solving skills, resilience, emotional regulation, and even listening skills.
The awareness created can promote early intervention, where children do not shy away from seeking professional help when needed.
I would like to applaud the ministry's plan to increase the number of child and adolescent psychiatrists from the current 18 to 30 in 2027. At the same time, we should also look into increasing the number of school counsellors.
I often hear that school counsellors struggle with heavy workloads and may not be able to fully cater to the immediate needs of some school children.
To mitigate this, I would like to propose that the Education Ministry collaborate with public and private universities that offer counselling courses to allow their students to carry out their practicum and internship in schools.
This will allow students better access to counselling and at the same time, with the hours of practice, prepare counselling students to be more efficient counsellors in the future.
For free and confidential emotional support, you can contact Befrienders KL at 03-76272929 (24 hours) or sam@befrienders.org.my to talk in a safe space. There is also Talian HEAL by the Health Ministry at 15555 (8am – midnight)
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Patron
BEFRIENDERS KL
* The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times