Most Malaysians committed suicide due to depression, reveals an expert

By Adele James

KUCHING, July 19, 2017  - About 2,000 Malaysians committed suicide each year, mainly due to depression,  according to Professor T. Maniam, a Malaysian representative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), today.

Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg with Malaysian Psychiatry Association (MPA) president Professor Nor Zuraida Zainal and Professor T. Maniam

 "Though the figure is low compared to the number of suicides in developed countries, there is nothing to be proud of about it," he told reporters at a press conference after the opening of the 29th World Congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg here.

He said depression causes distress in the person concerned, affecting how one feels, thinks and behaves.

He said there is no reliable data on suicide rates in Malaysia.

"Nevertheless, suicide remains a worrying and traumatic issue," he said, adding the Ministry of Health Malaysia reported in the Natioanal Health and Morbidity Survey 6.3% of respondents reported having suicidal ideation.

"Suicidal behaviour is a growing cause of concern in the country as suicide rates have increased over the past years," he added.

He said another worrying trend in Malaysia is the suicide rate among young people.

World-wide, about 800,000 people committed suicide yearly, according to World Health Organisation.

It said it is estimated that more than 20 times as many people make a suicide attempt.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg said the state government will allocate more money to the Ministry of Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Early Childhood Education in next year's State Budget.

He said part of the increase in the allocation will be used to create awareness and the importance of managing our lifestyles.

"I was informed that one of the causes is financial  problems. As you know our lifestyle, we have been using lot of credit cards to settle payments and credit card is still credit.

"When you have a lot of debts, then problems will come to you," Abang Johari said.

The chief minister urged the academicians and professionals to conduct more research on suicidal behaviour in Sarawak to give the government  a clearer picture of the extent of this problem here, its causes and approaches to managing this distressing problem among the people.

He hoped that the deliberation by the delegates at the world congress will give an insight into how to prevent worrying behaviour.

"Though it is not that serious in Sarawak, but then there is a trend is toward that direction because of various pressures and changing lifestyles," he said.

He said the government is particularly concerned about the impact of mental disorders like depression, anxiety, and alcohol and drug abuse since these are important contributors to suicide.

He said the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey revealed that almost 30% of the Malaysian general population experiences mental health problems.

"I hope people affected by illness will seek early treatment, and that adequate training is given to those who help in early detection such as teachers and general practitioners," he said.

Aside from personal distress, he said mental illness also affects social and occupational functioning and productivity.

The chief minister said mental illness and suicide not only cause emotional pain to the sufferers and caregivers, but also result in economic loss to the nation that may amount to millions of ringgit.

"Therefore, I would like attention to be given to programmes to improve mental health and to reduce suicidal behaviour in the development plans for our state," he said, adding that this would involve an appropriate allocation of budget for all aspects of mental health promotion, especially among schoolchildren, building resilience among them.

While there may be many reasons for suicide among young people, Abang Johari said bullying has become an important contributory factor.

He added the pressure put upon students by the parents to achieve academic excellence contributes to increased numbers of suicides following the announcement of results of major examinations.

"I would like these aspects to be addressed by teachers, parents and other relevant agencies," he said.