Discussions on mental health issues should become normal practice to avoid stigma, misconceptions - MIASA
08 Oct 2022 08:37pm
Anita said awareness about mental health should also be intensified so that the target group could receive the appropriate help and support. - Bernama Photo
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She said awareness about mental health should also be intensified so that the target group could receive the appropriate help and support.
"When there is a mental health issue there will be perceptions (towards the patient) like he or she is ‘crazy’, ‘dangerous’, ‘incompetent’ or ‘lacking faith’.
"The stigma needs to change, it is important to have knowledge because when there is an illness there definitely is treatment, and if the treatment is comprehensive the patient can recover," she told Bernama after the launch of MIASA's 'chatbot' service by Pahang National Council Of Women's Organisations Malaysia chairman Datuk Seri Maznah Mazlan here, today.
The ceremony also saw the pre-launch of MIASA's new hub in conjunction with World Mental Health Day and MIASA's 5th Anniversary, which was also attended by the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital’s Psychiatry and Mental Health Department head Dr Firdaus Abdul Gani.
The MIASA chatbot service is available via WhatsApp at the number +12028641153 which among other things, aims to provide information and immediate support to individuals struggling with mental illness.
Anita said among the factors that influenced individuals' negative perception of mental patients were movies and dramas.
"Sometimes, the way they portray people with mental illness is wrong or inaccurate, when they create a certain image of mental patients, people who lack knowledge will take that as the truth," he said.
Commenting on Budget 2023 which also included the proposed establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health, Anita said it was something to look forward to for all stakeholders to join hands under one roof to help individuals in need.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz when tabling the Supply Bill 2023 yesterday said that the government had allocated RM34 million to establish the centre.
Meanwhile, Dr Firdaus said individuals who recovered from mental illness were the best 'testimonies' to help and give hope to other patients.
"With regard to mental illness, it's not only about faith but about hope, that's why I like it when individuals who have fought such an illness come forward and are willing to share their success stories," he said. - BERNAMA
