Written
by Nanthini Suresh
The coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on the country's
mental health, with the number of suicides rising as a result.
A 35-year-old jockey and a 50-year-old hawker, believed to
have been facing financial difficulties because of the outbreak, were found
dead in May during Malaysia's movement curbs. The jockey had not been working
since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was imposed on March 18.
Earlier this month in Penang, a teenager was found dead
after her mother was unable to return home from Singapore to attend a
celebration of her coming of age.
Experts say many people are finding it hard to cope with the
isolation and economic hardship related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Being in isolation increases the fear and helplessness
that someone feels, and this can lead to anxiety and depression," Mr Ardy
Ayadali, publicity director of emotional support help centre Befrienders Kuala
Lumpur, told The Straits Times.
"When someone is isolated in crowded families or
spaces, the environment can get toxic."
Local media had reported a spike in calls to women's aid
groups over domestic violence during the MCO.
According to the police, there were 78 suicides nationwide
from March 18, when the shutdown began. There were 64 suicides in
the same period last year.
Malaysian think tank The Centre in April said a study it
conducted found that some 45 per cent of 1,084 Malaysian respondents were
experiencing varying levels of anxiety and depression during the MCO.
A total of 34 per cent of 4,142 calls received by the
Befrienders between March 18 and May 16 were related to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Over a third of the calls about Covid-19 were suicidal in nature.
The Health Ministry also reported that it received some
2,500 phone calls and more than 1,000 WhatsApp messages during the early days of the MCO, on its Psychological First Aid
hotline.
Having to adjust to sudden changes related to the movement
restriction, and face uncertainties in their finances, employment, education
and even obtaining daily provisions or food supplies can be "very
stressful, especially in more remote areas, and may worsen loneliness and increase
the risk of domestic violence," said Dr Ng Yin Ping, a consultant
psychiatrist from Pantai Hospital, Penang.Befrienders has also received calls from those in quarantine
centres who were suffering from anxiety due to the isolation, said Mr Ayadali.
While social movement curbs are aimed at protecting
Malaysians from a contagious and potentially fatal virus, they inadvertently
put people at risk of deteriorating mental health.
As businesses ground to a halt, the crippled economy caused
many to lose their jobs and incomes. Malaysia's unemployment rate climbed to
5.3 per cent in May from 5 per cent in April, according to the Statistics
Department last week. Some 10.22 million people have received
coronavirus-related aid totalling RM10.9 billion (S$3.5 billion) as of June 26.
Malaysia is not alone in this. The Covid-19 pandemic has the
potential to become a global mental health crisis, United Nations experts have
warned, with many under severe psychological strain. Nearly 600,000 people have
died and over 13 million have been infected worldwide since the Covid-19
pandemic was first reported in China late last year.
After Malaysia began easing its controls and reopening
non-essential sectors in May, the number of distress calls to Befrienders
related to the pandemic began to drop.
However, experts say the gradual return to
"normalcy" may prove to be another stressful adjustment, with so much
uncertainty ahead.
"The economic recovery may take a much longer time,
thus an overall increased stress on society in general is anticipated,"
said consultant psychiatrist Teh Ewe Eow, who is part of non-governmental
organisation D'Home Mental Health Association of Penang.
The Centre's survey also found that 56 per cent of
respondents were more worried about their personal finances after the MCO,
compared with 47 per cent during the MCO, as people recognise how the economic
fallout may last beyond the restrictions themselves.
Those in need of emotional support should try to
seek help, said experts.
