Number of people with depression on the rise in Miri
MIRI: The number of people living with depression here is increasing by the year, said Miri Hospital psychiatrist Dr Bawih Inu Puun.
She pointed out that the Psychiatry and Mental Health Department of Miri Hospital received 7,600 cases last year – 10 per cent of which involved depression.
“Each year we will get 500 to 600 new cases and this is quite alarming. What is of concern is the way the community deals with stress is very weak, and in general there is an increase in cases of suicide attempts, alcohol abuse, and so on to relieve stress,” she told a press conference yesterday on the state-level World Health Day celebration.
“Therefore, this programme is important to provide awareness to the community about the issue of depression as this issue has long been a social stigma,
So we hope the visitors to this programme will relay the information they obtained to others so that the outside community will gain greater awareness.”
The state-level World Health Day celebration will be held at the Miri Indoor Stadium next Tuesday (Oct 24). Themed ‘Depression — Let’s Talk’, the celebration will also mark World Mental Health Day.
Miri health officer Dr Veronica Lugah said globally over 300 million
Each year we will get 500 to 600 new cases and this is quite alarming. What of concern is the way the community deals with stress is very weak, and in general there is an increase in cases of suicide attempts, alcohol abuse, and so on to relieve stress.
people suffer from depression and it can happen regardless of age, gender or race.
“The programme is aimed at raising public awareness on the importance of mental health care the prevention of chronic mental illness, giving awareness on the issue of suicide and improving the public’s knowledge of depression,” she said.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has chosen the ‘Depression – Let’s Talk’ theme with the aim of educating the public about depression.”
According to the Ministry of Health’s National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015, the prevalence of mental health problems among Malaysians aged 16 and over is 29.2 per cent or approximately 4.2 million people. The programme will start on Monday (Oct 23) with the talk ‘Jin Hantu Rasuk vs Penyakit Mental’ at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak Miri from 2pm to 5pm.
Several other talks will be held on Tuesday at Miri Stadium such as ‘Depression and Suicide’, ‘Stress management at the workplace’, and ‘ Pets: A must in every home’, as well as the ‘Pathway to help’ forum. There will also be exhibition booths and free health screening by various government agencies.
Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah is expected to launch the event on Tuesday (Oct 24) at 10.30am.
Dr Bawih Inu Puun, Miri Hospital psychiatrist