MIRI: More than 100 volunteers and donors attended the Miri Mental Health Association’s fundraising event here Saturday.
Mayor Adam Yii lauded them for taking the time to make the event themed “Caring for Miri: Mental Health Perspective”, a success.
During the event, Yii, who is also Pujut assemblyman, also pledged a grant of RM 5,000 to MHA in support of their work.
“Mental health is a critical part of our overall well-being,”he said.
“Unfortunately, mental health is often stigmatised, and people who are struggling with mental health problems are often afraid to seek help. This is why it is so important to have organisations like Persatuan Kebajikan Perkhidmatan Psikiatri & Kesihatan Mental (PKPPKM) Miri Hospital and Mental Health Association Sarawak (MHAS – Miri Branch), which provide support and services to those who need it most.”
According to a study by the Ministry of Health in 2015, Yii said almost 30 per cent of Malaysians aged 16 and above have mental health problems.
This means that one out of three people in this age group suffers from some form of mental illness, he added.
“This is a threefold increase in comparison with the 10 per cent prevalence rate identified in 1996. The study also found that the highest rates of mental health problems were among teenagers aged 16 to 19 and people from low income families.
“The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 found that 26.9 per cent of Malaysian adolescents reported feeling depressed,” he pointed out.
Yii added, the same study reported that the prevalence of suicidal ideation during the previous 12 months among adolescents in Malaysia stood at 13.1 per cent (or 1 in 8) and 9.5 per cent (or 1 in 10) of adolescents had attempted suicide one or more times during the previous 12 months.
“These findings suggest a significant increase in the prevalence of suicidal ideation among adolescents compared with 2011, when only 1.7 per cent reported suicidal ideation,” he said.
“These statistics are alarming, but they also highlight the importance of the work that PKPPKM Hospital Miri and MHAS are doing. By providing support and services to those who need it most, these organisations are helping to make a difference in the lives of many Malaysians,”he added.
Also present were Kapitan Aries Leong Chin Lim who represented Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting, Raymond Tegang a representative of Miri MP Chiew Choon Man, Deputy Resident Miri Juan Ubit , Organising Chairperson Caring for Miri Fundraising Dinner 2023 Dr Janet Chang and Miri Hospital psychiatry department head Dr Bawih Inu Pu’un.
