Survey Reveals That 24% Of Malaysians Frequently Experience Suicidal Thoughts
The results are based on a survey conducted on 1,027 Malaysians.
By Timothy Tuan — 20 Jun 2019, 03:30 PM
A recent survey conducted by an international survey agency revealed that 24% of Malaysians have experienced suicidal thoughts
According to YouGov, about one in twenty Malaysians frequently suffers from thoughts on suicide.
From these statistics, which were gathered after surveying 1,027 participants, younger Malaysians aged between 18 and 24, are more prone to having suicidal thoughts compared to older Malaysians aged 55 and above.
The survey also showed that about a quarter of Malaysians have engaged in self-harm
A third of them comprised of younger Malaysians and out of this third, almost 10% regularly engage in self-harm.
One out of ten Malaysians have experienced mental health issues at some point in life, the survey revealed
On a related note, the results showed that younger adults are five times more likely to admit that they have suffered from mental health compared to those much older.
YouGov also reported that those who earn more than RM7,000 have a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues compared to those who earn less than RM3,000 or less.
In Malaysia, depression is the most common mental health issue followed by anxiety
However, YouGov reported that less than half of these Malaysians who suffer from mental health issues seek medical treatment.
Among Malaysians, women are also less likely to seek professional help than men and those who earn lower income are less likely to seek help compared to those earning a higher income.
One of the main reasons Malaysians do not seek mental health treatment is because they are unsure of where to get help
Other reasons include concerns about cost, embarrassment or social stigma, and the time needed to commit to receiving mental health treatment.
Overall, 93% of Malaysians believe that mental health should be taken more seriously compared to physical health
Most Malaysians believe that employees suffering from mental health should be allowed medical leave while another 85% also agrees that mental health treatment should be covered by insurance.
Commenting on the survey results, YouGov Head of Omnibus APAC, Jake Gammon said that an alarming number of Malaysians experience damaging behaviour like suicidal thoughts and self-harm, particularly prevalent among young adults
“Many people with mental health issues suffer in silence, as seen by the significant amount of people who choose not to seek help," he said as quoted by YouGov.
"We hope this survey sheds light on the topic of mental health, and how it affects people differently," he added.
Suicide is never the option.
If you or anyone you know may be at risk of suicide, please call these hotlines:
1. ALL WOMEN'S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM) - TELENITA
Address: 85, Jalan 21/1, Sea Park, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Contact: +603-7877 0224 | Website
2. BEFRIENDERS
Address: 95 Jalan Templer, 46000, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Contact: +603-7956 8144 | +603-7956 8145 | [email protected] | Website
3. DBKL TELECOUNSELLING
Address: Tingkat 1, Menara DBKL, Jalan Raja Laut 50350 Kuala Lumpur.
Contact: 1800-88-2600 | 03-26179905
4. TALIAN NUR
Contact: 15999 | [email protected]
5. WOMEN'S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Contact: +03-7956 3488 |[email protected] | Website