Mental
Health… Demands and Pressures of Everyday Living Taking its Toll
People
usually equate mental health with mental illness,hence
giving rise to the notion that mental health problems only affect those
in mental institution.
However,mental health problems are not merely confined to those in mental
institutions but also affect common people.Demanding circumstances and social
responsibilities are becoming more complex and with these rapid changes,more
individuals are developing mental or psychiatric illnesses.
It is therefore vital to promote good mental health as a healthy mind and
a healthy workforce could enhance productivity.
Statistics
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Homeless
and Unwanted... feeling rejected by society, this man and his worldly
possession walks the street in search of support and
compassion |
Based on statistics,about
10 per cent of the country ’s population suffer from psychiatric disorders.
While global statistics indicate about one out of five children and teenagers
suffers from mental problems such as depression and anxiety,only three to
four per cent seek medical treatment.
Most countries in the Western Pacific spend about one per cent of their
care budgets on mental health,Malaysia and Australia are the only two countries
in the region that spend between five and 10 per cent.
Hence,the need for greater awareness of the importance of mental health
promotion through proper dissemination of information which is vital to
curb the rising prevalence of mental illnesses among the population.
Minimise Occurrence
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Lonely...
the helpless and
mentally ill can sometime
fend for themselves by
seeking support from the
public |
It is important for parents and teachers to be well informed of the causes,treatment
and preventive measures to minimise the
occurrence of mental problems among young people.
Ideally,family members should take responsibility in bringing their loved
ones or relatives for medical treatment if thought to be suffering from
mental illness.
The patient could then be referred to the nearest hospital or a clinic where
a doctor would determine whether the person
should be admitted or placed under observation.
Meanwhile,a recent survey by the Penang Hospital shows that teachers form
the largest group of people with the highest risk of suffering from mental
disorders and housewives, especially those in their post-delivery stage,were
second.
Outpatient Treatment
Currently,most psychiatric conditions can be treated in an outpatient setting,except
in some acute stages.
The trend is not to institutionalise patients but instead to treat them
in the community.Mental illness patients at times avoided
hospital treatment for fear of being identified and ridiculed by
hospital staff.
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Creative...
mental patients,
when encouraged and coaxed,
will turn creative as shown in
this picture of a quilt produced
by a support group |
It is vital to understand from various viewpoints the aspects of stress
factors that affect mental health so that they can be addressed effectively.
Guidelines for mental health should be introduced as the impact that mental
problems impose on executives, workers,workplace and enterprises as well
as the society is immense.
The guidelines can enable implementation of basic measures to be adopted
and implemented by employers to suit the practical conditions for each enterprise.
Employers should consider the specific nature of mental health problems,relationship
with human resource management policies and problems emanating from family
or individual lifestyles.
Sympathise
Employers should also be sensitive and sympathetic to their workers who
have psychiatric problems and be proactive in minimising stress at workplaces.
The government should initiate a survey to get an update of the state of
mental health of Malaysians as well as to help employers and employment
sector to cope with problems associated with it.
The promotion of mental health encompasses the government,employers,the
community and family units and
more can be done for the mentally ill not only in terms of treatment,counselling
and care but support for their next-of-
kin.
To date,there are 27 hospitals with psychiatric patients and 733 health
clinics that provide follow-up treatment to the patients.
Media
Sensationalised reporting by the mass media often compounded the issue and
repeated reporting as well as big
build-up of related stories would arouse unhealthy omplications
among mental illness patients.
 |
Sad
Feature... a mental
patient’s world
collapses around him |
When a violent case occurs, reporters will usually interview
neighbours and the police to get confirmation that the assailant has a mental
illness record.
Even when the perpetrator turns out to be someone with no
mental illness,the damage is done and there is often no effort
to correct the mistake.
In the early days there were no effective drugs to treat mental disorders
and the most effective way then was to quarantine patients in mental asylums.
The scene has now changed with the introduction of new drugs and the development
of modalities of psychiatric management. |
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