Coronavirus South-east Asia

Malaysia sees rise in suicides amid repeated pandemic lockdowns

Having been diagnosed with depression since she was a teenager, online retailer Nina Razif, 35, had learnt to cope with it over the years - or so she thought.

Being under Malaysia's first two lockdowns after the Covid-19 pandemic started did not affect her mental health, but by the time the third one was imposed last month, stress and depression began to overwhelm her. "I started feeling really depressed and helpless when I saw more and more people, including some I know, suffering," she told The Straits Times.

A friend attempted to take his life but she managed to reach him in time, she said.

"This shook me to the core because years ago, I lost a close friend to suicide. It also brought me back to the time when I had tried to take my own life," she said.

"I'm burnt out, and it's almost impossible to juggle parenting, work, school and taking care of my differently abled child. And for the first time in my life, I'm tired of staying at home. I've been a good citizen but why are cases still increasing?"

Madam Nina is not alone.

The police recorded 468 suicides in the first five months of this year alone, compared with 631 last year and 609 in 2019. The main causes were family problems, emotional pressure and finances.

Emotional support help centre Befrienders Kuala Lumpur recorded 20,575 calls from January to June this year, compared with 32,710 for the whole of last year, its publicity director Ardy Ayadali told ST.

During the first lockdown from March to June last year, the centre received some 9,754 calls. This year, 14,136 calls were made to the Befrienders in the same period, marking a 45 per cent surge.

Several groups have called for the decriminalisation of attempted suicides, which is against the law in Malaysia.

A parent whose teenage child attempted to overdose on medication earlier this year told ST she was shocked when the hospital told her to make a police report immediately, as this was standard procedure.

"The police immediately wanted to come and interview my child, but I managed to convince them it was not an attempted suicide but merely a cry for help," said the parent, who declined to be named.

Datuk Dr Venugopal Balchand, chair of the National Coalition of Mental Wellbeing's Decriminalisation Focus Group, was quoted as saying by The Star daily last Wednesday: "It is not an issue of crime; victims should not be hauled up by the police or be remanded. They should be sent to a medical institution.

"But our laws treat these individuals like criminals and deny them the psychological treatment that they need."

Malaysia has recorded over 844,000 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began, with daily new infections hitting a record high of 9,353 cases last Saturday. It recorded 8,574 cases yesterday.

The country is under a nationwide lockdown until the number of daily cases dips below 4,000.

  • Helplines


    Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444

    Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

    Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222

    Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800

    Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788

Dr Ng Yin Ping, a consultant psychiatrist at Pantai Hospital Penang, said she is seeing more patients with symptoms of increased stress, such as insomnia, anxiety, irritability and low mood.

"Contributing factors include work or academic stress. Many are required to work from home, so some may have difficulties focusing due to an unsuitable or noisy home environment," she added.

Economic uncertainty, loneliness, fear of visiting health facilities, and the loss of one's usual coping mechanisms such as socialising and travelling can also contribute to mental health problems, said Dr Ng.

The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) said the government needs to incorporate suicide prevention in its lockdown plans.

"Never have Malaysians witnessed the despair of so many jobless, hungry and homeless people," CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times. "Such a situation causes despair and hopelessness, besides the feeling of loneliness during the pandemic."

Government aid was insufficient as some may have already depleted their life savings and are jobless, he added.

Malaysia is also grappling with a shortage of psychiatrists.

Health Minister Adham Baba said last Tuesday that the psychiatrist-to-patient ratio was only a tenth of the one per 10,000 recommended by the World Health Organisation. There are 400 psychiatrists in Malaysia, when there should be 3,100.

Dr Ng advised those who find it difficult to cope to seek help.

"Stay connected with people... Remember to eat balanced meals, exercise and have adequate rest and sleep. Exercise caution when it comes to receiving or sharing information on social media as some news may be triggering or even harmful to your mental health.

"Finally, be kind to yourself. It's okay to not be okay, and to seek help," she said.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 13, 2021, with the headline Malaysia sees rise in suicides amid repeated pandemic lockdowns. Subscribe