More psychiatrists, psychologists needed — Befrienders
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Befrienders Kota Kinabalu is hoping to have more psychiatrists and psychologists available to address mental health problems in the country.
Befrienders KK deputy chairperson Johan Amilin said that the number of experts in the field was still insufficient to cater for people in need in the country.
He said that although there was a lot of psychology faculty in the local institution either public or private, students who graduated from the faculty either ended up getting jobs in the medical field or doing their own business.
Therefore, he highlighted that the people have to realize that mental ill is on the rise and it needs help from experts in order to treat those who have mental illness.
Johan was met during a talk on ‘Changing the way we talk about suicide’ at Damai Commercial Centre in Luyang here yesterday.
Furthermore, Johan said those who had mental illness either caused by depression, stress or anxiety should seek help from experts.
He also said that stigma which occurred in the society such as looking at depression and anxiety as normal must change because it is wrong.
“If you go to a mental hospital then people will say ‘ala ni orang gila’ (this is a crazy person). So the kind of stigma that exists in our society needs to change as well. We must think that mental illness is like a physical illness as well. If people say they have depression, stress, anxiety, go and see a doctor,” he said.
He said that the event was co-organized together with Bentarakata, which is a free association comprising youths.
Johan, who pictured Bentarakata as a youth outreach group, said that Bentarakata helped Befrienders to be closer to young people in the state who were at risk of being involved in suicide.
Hence, the organizing of such an event would not cease and Befrienders would continue to work together in organizing more programs, especially in providing awareness of mental health problems.
Also present was Befrienders KK chairperson Datin Seri Panglima Siti Rubiah Abdul Samad.