Look after your well-being first, counsellors urged

PUTRAJAYA: Counsellors should themselves look after their emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing to avoid becoming depressed, says the Deputy Prime Minister.

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said there had been cases of counsellors and doctors suffering from depression.

“They get affected by their patients’ problems and for doctors, the inability to cure the sick can get to them.

“That is why I urge counsellors to take care of their own mental and emotional well-being so that they can effectively treat their patients,” she said when launching National Counselling Month here yesterday.

Dr Wan Azizah said the counsellor-patient ratio in the country – one for 3,716 people – would not be able to effectively tackle today’s complex social problems.

As at August, there were 8,773 counsellors registered with the Board of Counsellors.

According to the World Health Organisation, 800,000 people commit suicide every year, which brings it to one death per 40 seconds.

Dr Wan Azizah said suicide was the second highest cause of death for those aged between 15 and 29 worldwide.

She also quoted the National Health and Morbidity 2017 study which found that 39.7% of school-going teenagers suffered from anxiety, followed by depression (18.3%) and stress (9.6%).

“Based on these statistics, counselling service must begin from an early stage of intervention at school and at home.

“Parents, family members, teachers and friends play an important role to help identify those who require counselling,” she added.

Dr Wan Azizah said society might not fully understand the importance of counselling services, adding that it was actually crucial as the country’s rapid development would have an effect on the people’s mental health.