NHMS Survey Reveals One Million Malaysians Suffering From Depression
The new National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023 has revealed that one million Malaysians above the age of 15 are suffering from depression.
The NHMS 2023: Non-Communicable Disease and Healthcare demand is a survey that is done annually to gather health information and determine the commonness of diseases among Malaysian, was launched by Malaysia’s health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad at the Ministry of Health in Putrajaya, yesterday.
Majlis Pelancaran Hasil Dapatan Tinjauan Kebangsaan dan Morbiditi (NHMS) 2023: Penyakit Tidak Berjangkit dan Kajian…
Posted by KEMENTERIAN KESIHATAN MALAYSIA on Wednesday, May 15, 2024
One of the main talking points revealed by the NHMS 2023 is the fact that the number of Malaysians with depression jumped twofold from 2019 to 2023.
Worse still, the survey stated that almost half of the one million Malaysians suffering from depression has entertained thoughts of hurting themselves or committing suicide.
According to a report from Bernama, the survey also revealed that mental health issues are becoming increasingly common, with its prevalence also doubling since 2019.
Children are not exempt from the mental health epidemic that Malaysia is facing, as the survey also revealed that one in six children aged 5 to 15 suffered mental health problems.
The mental health issues faced by children include hyperactivity, and other issues stemming from problems with their peers, behaviour, and emotions.
The study also showed that non-communicable diseases (NCD) are the leading cause of death in Malaysia.
“In Malaysia, NCDs are responsible for two-thirds of premature deaths, while tobacco use causes 27,000 deaths every year,” said Dr Dzul.
Comparing it to the death toll during the pandemic, Dr Dzul stated that in two years of the pandemic, the death toll was at 37,000, but tobbaco related diseases only took one year to reach 27,000, underlying the seriousness of the tobacco problem in Malaysia.
