World Mental Health Day
TW: This article contains discussions on suicide.
World Mental Health Day falls on October 10th every year. Its aim is to raise awareness about mental health to people all over the world and to mobilize efforts in support of it. This campaign has become ever more important with the presence of Covid-19. The past year has been difficult for many of us. We have seen people from different groups struggling with their mental health throughout this pandemic whether it be health workers, students, your family or even you. The truth is it is never easy for anyone, as different people might have different ways of handling their mental health. Your method of coping with it may be a very different experience from everyone else, hence there is no correct or wrong way of facing your mental health issues as long as you are not harming yourself or the people around you. Hence this is why it is so important for us to take some time to recognize and educate ourselves on mental health. Although you may not personally go through these challenges, the people closest to you could be suffering in silence. World Mental Health Day helps bring us together to understand and learn about mental health while also removing the stigma behind it.
History of World Mental Health Day
The first ever World Mental Health Day was on 10th October 1992. It began as an annual activity started by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and ever since then the campaign is held every year on 10th October. The first few years of the event did not have any themes. Its purpose was to just promote mental health advocacy in general and educate the public on relevant issues. It wasn’t until 1994 where a theme was introduced to the campaign. The first ever theme was “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World”. Many people from around the world stay tuned for this event and 27 countries even gave their feedback including notable national campaigns in Australia and England. Within three short years, the campaign has managed to grab the attention of government departments, organizations and committed individuals from all over the globe, holding their own programs to focus on their advocacy for mental health. A wide array of international campaigns was reported to the WFMH in 1995, ranging from Egypt, France and even a Micronesian Island in the Pacific. This day has proven to be a huge success judging by the many inspired individuals and organizers who took part in it. It expanded even more when WFMH had their planning material kit translated into multiple languages such as Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, French, Hindi, Russian and Arabic. The accessibility allows the campaign to reach even more people than ever before.
World Mental Health Day 2021
The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is “Mental Health in an Unequal World”. The start of 2020 was surely an unexpected one, for who would have a thought a global pandemic would occur in the 21st century? The pandemic has taken a toll on many of us, with its restrictive lockdowns and limited contact from the outside world. Unfortunately in 2021, we are still dealing with the pandemic, and while it may be less severe with the existence of Covid-19 vaccines, the stress and trauma still has not gotten away for many of us, especially those who had already been struggling prior to the pandemic. People with pre-existing mental health conditions have been affected substantially. Not to mention many sessions and services that these people require have been disrupted due to the pandemic. The transition to online sessions is not easy for everyone and this could seriously affect their mental health even more.
In addition, people with minimum wage jobs which require physical labour are also affected by the pandemic. The pandemic prevents people from going to work normally and many have faced unemployment. Losing a job can really affect a person’s mental health as they might not have a stable income to support themselves or their family. In general underprivileged people struggle the most, many of whom have turned to unhealthy habits to deal with the immense amount of stress and pressure they might be facing. For instance, they could turn to alcohol consumption and substance use which can be detrimental to their well-being. On top of that, difficulty in sleeping and eating could occur. Not only could this affect their mental health, it could also affect the people around them such as their children and other family members.
Unfortunately we live in an “unequal world”, where not everyone has the same access to mental health treatment and facilities. People from lower income countries may not have access to sufficient treatment or education on mental health, resulting in a lack of understanding around this topic. They may think something is wrong with them and feel out of place in their community. The lack of investment in mental health research and treatment in certain countries prevents the people from having access to services, thus there is still a huge stigma surrounding this topic in addition to the discrimination these mental health patients face. Recognizing the inequality that many face regarding mental health accessibility could help raise awareness to countries’ governments about the severity of mental health to oneself.
Mental Health in Malaysia: The Decriminalization of Attempted Suicide
Whenever the topic of mental health is brought up in Malaysia, what do we think of? Your parents telling you to “get over it”? “It’s just a phase”? Or people around you saying it’s “not real” and “you’re just being dramatic”? Whatever it is, all these responses are the reason why mental health issues are still not taken seriously in Malaysia. Therapy is almost unheard of here alongside the judgmental glare of others just for seeking help. A study in 2018 showed Malaysia has a significant deficit of psychiatrists and psychologists with a ratio of 1.27 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. Although the proportion of psychiatrists in Malaysia is considered high in Southeast Asia, it is still lower than our neighboring country Singapore with 3.48 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. Places with growing urbanization in Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya tend to have more access to these services compared to rural areas. For instance, there are only 0.54 psychiatrists per 100,000 population in Sabah. This results in many people, especially the younger generation in Malaysia, often fighting their battles alone, afraid of speaking up about the problems they are facing. Malaysia needs to step up their game and have a uniform distribution of mental health services between all locations within Malaysia. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Malaysia needs at least 3000 registered psychiatrists to meet the recommendation of 10 psychiatrists per 100,000 of people,
The lack of mental health services is why there is still such a huge stigma behind mental health, people are dismissing these issues as there is not a lot of support and funding for these services, thus forms one of the leading causes of suicide in Malaysia.
Most prominently, suicide rates in Malaysia have increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There has been a recorded 468 suicides in just the first five months of 2021, which is about to exceed the annual total 631 in 2020 and 609 in 2019. This could be due to the loss of a loved one, relationship issues or financial instability. We can never know if someone is having suicidal thoughts just by their appearance alone. It is always a good thing to reach out to those who may show signs of depression or those who suffer from mental health issues and prevent the rapidly increasing rate of suicide.
It took too long for the Malaysian government to decriminalize attempted suicide. Prior to recent developments, attempted suicide survivors still had to face punishments or imprisonment for their “wrong doings”. Not only could this have worsened the victim’s mental health, they could face severe trauma too. One case that had happened in 2020 shows why there stood a need to decriminalize attempted suicide. A disabled man was sentenced to six months in prison for attempting suicide. 38-year-old Mohamad Sani Isa, who pleaded guilty under Section 309 of the Penal Code, was not represented by a lawyer. He was charged for attempting to hang himself with a nylon rope from a ceiling. Sani was facing depression and unfortunately suicide was the only thing which could stop his pain. Sani was ordered to undergo an evaluation at a psychiatric hospital before the sentencing. However, the evaluation still did not prevent him from being imprisoned.
Finally in 2021, with the recent amendment of Section 309, attempted suicide will be decriminalized in Malaysia. Hopefully this change can serve as a step forward to improve mental health education in Malaysia, decrease the rate of suicides and remove the negative stigma behind mental health.
What Can We Do?
On a more personal note, there is nothing to be ashamed about mental health issues, as many of us struggle with it especially during these difficult times. Some ways to help overcome these issues could include confiding with a friend or family, or talking about what’s on your mind with others. Sometimes a lending ear is all we need. Activities such as making art and doing sports can help us relax and take our minds off reality. Although it’s not forever, some alone time with yourself or with close ones can help us de-stress and improve our mental health. Paired together with greater awareness and better education regarding mental health through government or school-led initiatives, hopefully the eventual de-stigmatization of mental health will make way for a better-informed and more compassionate society.
Written by Chow Anne Rose. Edited by Siow Chien Wen.