Mental health issues among Malaysian youth are rising, with increasing rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. While efforts are being made to provide support through school counselors and mental health awareness initiatives, societal stigma and academic pressures continue to challenge students’ well-being.
Previous research has shown that mental health issues are on the rise among Malaysian youth, with the number of Malaysian children and adolescents suffering from mental health problems having increased from 13% in 1996 to 20% in 2011. In 2018, the National Institute for Public Health indicated that one in five Malaysian adolescents are depressed, two in five are anxious, and one in ten are stressed.
The Rise of Mental Health Struggles in Youth
In the 2023 Malaysian Youth Mental Health Index report, jointly published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia, it was reported that six in ten Malaysian youth experienced mild to severe depressive symptoms, and three in ten have moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. More alarming, the same report also showed that one in every ten Malaysian youth have suicide ideation.
The above statistics are consistent with the findings from my research across six school districts in Sarawak. Having surveyed over 3,000 Form 4 students across 34 secondary schools utilising the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), it was found that while the students, on average, were exhibiting normal levels of stress, they were mildly depressed and anxious.
Why Are Female Students More Affected?
My research also found that female students were showing higher levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. This is not surprising, as studies across cultures have consistently shown that major depression, dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder), and anxiety disorders are two to three times more common in women than in men. What was surprising to see was that the gender difference was already so apparent at such a young age among Malaysian secondary school students. What do all these alarming statistics tell us? More importantly, now that we know of these figures, what should we do?
It is widely recognised that mental health struggles, such as depression, anxiety, and stress during adolescence, increase the risk of suicidal behaviours, homicidal ideation, and tobacco and substance abuse in later years. Given that, there is a need to ensure our young people grow up in a supportive environment to ensure that they will grow into healthy adults.
Are We Doing Enough to Support Our Youth?
Given what is known, actions must be taken first to understand the causes of our young people suffering from mental health issues. As a rapidly developing country, Malaysia is undergoing urbanisation and modernisation, which exposes many Malaysians to the possibility of stress and depression from coping with a modernity-related lifestyle. One-fifth of the Malaysian population are adolescents. Are we doing everything we can to make sure that our youths can cope with the seemingly over-rapidly changing world
Policymakers must be mindful in their planning for the country’s future. We need the development, both in terms of infrastructure and human capital, if we want to see Malaysia continue to progress forward. In this regard, over the years, we have seen a push for our young generation to be better educated, to be better equipped with the skills and knowledge that they will need to help push our country forward. In this increasingly competitive society, parents naturally would want their children to excel in their studies, as education is one of the main avenues to upward social mobility. Even students themselves would like to see them excel academically, as they realise the benefits of education upon their lives.
Breaking the Stigma
While all that is good, we need to be mindful that we are not over pushing our young people mentally. There is a need to raise awareness among students and parents, as well as educators alike, about the importance of mental health. Over the years, we have seen the Ministry of Education training more teachers to be certified school counsellors, who are being deployed to all the schools across the country. At the same time, under the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education, all institutes of higher education are now required to have certified counselors on staff, ready to assist students in their time of need.
With the support in place, parents and students now need to be made aware that help is available. Both parents and students alike must know that it is “okay to be not okay” and that there is no shame in seeking help. It is unfortunate that many in society still hold an unjustifiable prejudice against those who struggle with mental health issues, but as society progresses, we need to work hard to be rid of that unfair stigma and normalise the conversation on mental health, especially among our young people. With everyone in society playing their respective roles, we will, hopefully, be able to see a reversal of the daunting statistics I quoted at the beginning of this piece of musing.
We all want to see our next generation of learners, who will one day be history makers that will make us all proud. So, for now, as they mature into the best version of themselves possible, let us guard them well and ensure that they get to grow up healthy, both physically and mentally
Dr James ChunHan Loi is a lecturer of law with the School of Foundation Studies, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, and a researcher in the field of private supplementary tutoring and its impact on mental health. He is a member of the UNESCO Community of Practice on Private Supplementary Tutoring. He can be reached at chloi@swinburne.edu.my