Ministry plans to expand mental health programme

○ Move follows success of RTM’s initiative to help people facing various pressures caused by hardships due to pandemic

PUTRAJAYA: Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the ministry plans to expand its mental-health programme to local private television stations and the print media.

The move follows the success of a Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM)produced programme on mental health, broadcast via its Selamat Pagi Malaysia slot since June 1, that garnered viewership of 1.5 million to 1.9 million people.

Saifuddin said the programme has three objectives, namely increasing public understanding of mental health and its importance, avoiding social stigma against individuals facing mental health problems, and informing the public on the assistance available.

“This programme will continue on RTM but we will discuss it with private television stations if they are interested to run similar programmes.

“We are also looking at how it can be extended to the print media, using languages other than Malay, if there is a need for it,” he said at a virtual media conference yesterday after chairing a Mental Health Support Communication Plan coordination meeting.

A Mental Health Support Communication Plan team was formed in April involving various ministries and agencies to assist individuals impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the programme has received good response as it has speakers from various backgrounds and fields of expertise, sharing tips on managing mental health, psychological problems, anxiety, work pressure, issues related to job loss and unemployment as well as communication and social problems faced by children and adults, especially during the current depressing time.

It involves collaboration with the Health Ministry, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Malaysian Board of Counsellors and several institutions of higher learning and non-governmental organisations.

Saifuddin said the government noted that an increasing number of people in the country were facing mental health problems and depression due to the pandemic.

Health Ministry public health expert Dr Nurashikin Ibrahim said there had been a three-fold increase in the number of calls received this year compared with 44,061 last year, with 40% of the calls coming from those who had lost their source of