Lam Thye: Necessity of tackling the mental health of young people in a changing world – Nation



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PETALING JAYA: Along with its first anniversary and World Mental Health Day 2018, Wednesday, October 10, the Mental Illness Awareness and Assistance Society (MIASA) hosted a forum entitled "Youth and Health in a changing world ".

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, head of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association, attended the forum and raised valuable points about the mental health of young people in Malaysia and how to solve the problem.

"The dilemma faced by today's youth has greater social and economic implications with the increasing number of people diagnosed with depression, anxiety or other mental health problems," he said. did he declare.

Malaysia now has more young people facing stress or mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, because of their life experiences or environmental factors.

Lee said the challenges of studying, work, financial commitment, hope and family relationships are among the issues facing young people.

"This problem does not only arise in Malaysia, but around the world when the current life expectancy is causing depression, anxiety and other mental health problems among adolescents.

"Graduates, for example, are looking for remunerative permanent jobs, cars and dream homes, but real life is not always as good as expected," he added.

Lee said that while some young people who work are able to cope with challenges and hardships, others face emotional and physical problems once they leave the university or when They entered the world of work.

More worryingly, the ratio of mental health problems increased from one student in ten in 2011 to one in five in 2016.

Lee pointed out that young people who are heavily influenced by social media feel compelled to live the lifestyle their peers describe on social media.

He said that they would compare themselves to others without realizing that life is not always perfect and perhaps unrealistic to achieve such goals at a young age.

"We need to take mental health issues seriously and how they have led to other issues such as physical bullying, cyberbullying and acts of violence.

"All parties must ensure that our children have a good balance physically, mentally and emotionally.

To address this problem, Lee said that better mental health development programs should be put in place in schools and more counselors with psychological skills should be placed in schools.

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