9 hours ago
Human Writes: Do you listen to the kids?
Last year, a 13-year-old girl took her own life, apparently overwhelmed by academic pressure. In recent months, there have been other cases of teen suicides, and through similar means. While these tragic cases draw public attention, they are just the visible tip of a huge, hidden iceberg of Malaysian youth in distress.
A silent, unseen epidemic of mental health struggles is affecting our youth, and manifesting in many troubling ways – self-harm, substance abuse, cyberbullying, teen pregnancy and petty crime; troubled teens are also more susceptible to grooming. While these problems may seem unrelated and arising from different causes, they point to a deeper, common reality: rising mental health issues among youth.
The data confirms this. A 2022 national survey on adolescents found suicidal ideation (thoughts), loneliness, and anxiety rates had doubled in the previous decade (2012-2022). Further, the 2023 Malaysian Youth Mental Health Index found six in 10 Malaysian youth experience mild to severe depressive ideation, and one in 10 experiences suicidal ideation. This echoes the global escalation of mental ill health.
Also growing is the 'barcode trend', where children cut their arms with sharp objects such as knives or broken glass to cope with pain – something Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said she has personally witnessed and is crucial to address.
Consultant paediatrician and child rights advocate Dr Amar-Singh says in his 40 years of experience, he has definitely seen an upward trend of mental health issues among youth: 'In the past, you wouldn't really see it.' There wasn't a widespread presence of children with depression or suicide ideation, as seen today.
'As paediatricians we are seeing an increase in the number of teenagers that require support. It is of concern that many parents are unaware of their adolescent's situation until a crisis presents, like a suicide attempt or running away from home,' he says.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago says he regularly saw people struggling with mental health challenges at his office as an MP, often alongside economic deprivation, domestic violence, and high stress levels.
'We have a massive problem in front of us. Society, the government, and families are in denial,' he says. 'There is no general acceptance that it is OK to be mentally challenged, and just as with a cough and cold, you need to see a doctor and get medication, or have therapy.'
A widespread lack of understanding of mental health – fuelled by stigma and misinformation – has led to people judging sufferers negatively, a poor response from parents, and ultimately a lack of proper care.
Counsellor Aida Ahmad recalls one case of a teen struggling to cope with the separation of her parents as well as a break up with her boyfriend; her mother's only response was to tell her to 'just get over it'.
A common thread among teenagers that she counsels is loneliness. One teen, upset about losing his friends after changing schools, became addicted to online gaming, as he could 'meet' his old friends there.
A desperation to find friends led another child, not from a poor family, to start to steal – not for himself, but for the young people that he wanted to befriend, Dr Amar-Singh recalls.
Grooming is a huge issue, he says, with children often drawn in by adults online offering attention and conversation. 'They will listen and talk to them online,' he says.
In contrast, many parents do not spend much time listening to their children, and conversations are largely focused on whether they have eaten or bathed or finished their homework.
One girl who felt emotionally disconnected from her parents ended up sending a naked picture of herself to a man she met online, he says, adding that extortion often followed in such cases.
In another case reported in the media, a 14-year-old girl travelled 500km from her home in Tumpat, Kelantan, to Kulim, Kedah, to meet a man she met online, who then sexually assaulted her.
Dr Amar-Singh believes that the 'mental health' problem is actually a 'psychosocial' one, shaped by a complex interplay of factors. These include the breakdown of social communities (especially extended families), with community space replaced by screen space, and both adolescents and adults addicted to screens. He also points to the increase of impersonal urban spaces and the loss of green lungs, as well as the climate crisis, academic pressure, and a sense of hopelessness for the future.
The government needs to expand psychosocial services for adolescents nationwide, with a dedicated national helpline for children's mental health and a greater availability of counselling, he says, adding,'We need to push mental health into a better place'.
He calls on the authorities to leverage teachers and schools by offering guidance to recognise and deal with mental health issues, having trained mental health first aiders in every school, and greater use of the 'Super Skills for Life' programme, an international programme already initiated in Malaysia.
Santiago also says employers must come on board and the Social Security Organisation (Socso) should step up on the issue.
For Dr Amar-Singh, a key factor lies in getting parents to change: 'Parents need to invest more time in listening to their children.'
If you are facing mental health issues, you can reach out to Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935/ 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999/ 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Befrienders (03-7627 2929/ e-mail sam@ or toll-free children's helpline Talian Buddy Bear (1800-18-BEAR or 1800-18-2327/ buddybear@ Human Writes columnist Mangai Balasegaram writes mostly on health but also delves into anything on being human. She has worked with international public health bodies and has a Masters in public health. Write to her at lifestyle@ The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own.
