Ministry stamping rise in mental illness — Liow

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PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will stamp the increase in mental illness in the country which rose by 15.6 per cent to 400,227 last year from the previous year, said its minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said as the increase was worrying, the ministry would intensify efforts to promote mental health and stress management, including in schools this year.

The increase confirmed the World Health Organisation’s forecast that mental illness was expected to increase at the rate of 15 per cent by 2020, he told reporters after chairing a Mental Health Promotion Advisory Council meeting here yesterday.

“By 2020, one of mental disorders, namely depression is expected to be the second highest ailment after cardiac ischemia,” he said.

He said four secondary schools were selected to undergo a six-month pilot project on stress management starting next month as studies indicated an increasing number of teenagers suffering from mental illness.

They are Sekolah Menengah Sains, Teluk Intan; SMK Datuk Haji Ahmad Badawi, Kepala Batas; SMK Simpang Bekok, Jasin; and SMK St Michael, Penampang, Sabah.

He said the stress management module was prepared by the Health Ministry and the programme would be extended to all schools next year.

Liow said the National Health and Morbidity Survey showed that cases of psychiatric morbidity or unhealthy mental health increased by 11.2 per cent in 2006 compared to 10.6 per cent in 1996.

He said the rate was higher among female aged between 16 and 19 and between 70 and 74 years with 6.4 per cent of them having a tendency to commit suicide.

The shortage of psychiatrists is worrying as there are only 124 qualified psychiatrists nationwide with a ratio of two clinical psychiatrists for
every 115,000 people, he added.

“This is below the ratio set by WHO, that is one psychiatrist for every 50,000 people for
developing countries.

Therefore, we need to train more psychiatrists,” he said. — Bernama