Societal lens on mental health

There are severe shortages of professionals such as clinical psychologists and social workers in mental health services.

DEVA (2004) For students who perceive mental health negatively, directly approaching mental health would not be effective, as they feel shame about engaging in such interventions. (Kotera et al. 2018b, e, f) “ The police recorded 468 suicides in the first five months of 2021, compared to 631 in 2020, and 609 in 2019. The three main causes cited were family problems, emotional pressure and finances.” (TST, 21 July 2021)

Youth are stereotypically recognised as the healthiest generation and are generally neglected by the healthcare services. According to Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in 2013, prolonged social isolation and loneliness can put them at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues throughout their lives. Moreover, from the mental illness perspective, the adverse social lens has been highlighted as a substantial obstacle to seeking assistance and receiving treatment. In 2020, WHO reported that an estimated 10-20% of youth globally experience mental health conditions, yet these remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. Previous research has found that public stigma is a major factor in being hesitant to communicate and concerns about one’s mental health state with friends, family members, and others. Weiner (1988) highlighted that the perceptions of stereotypes such as dangerousness and blameworthiness have a deleterious impact on the youth. In the context of Malaysia, the youth population constitutes 17 percent of the total population of 32.7 million (DOSM, 2021). To date, the urbanisation and Covid-19 crisis have deteriorated the youth’s mental health and previous research showed that urban youth have a higher rate of psychological issues. The mental health problems have been increasing among the urban youth community, as about half of the mental illness are known to begin in the mid-20s, where the prevalence of depression is in the range of 10 percent to 14 percent. The growing competitive nature of schooling resulted in today’s youth experiencing temporal challenges in striking a balance in life.