KUALA LUMPUR: The government will increase the frequency of mental health screenings for school students from once to twice a year as part of immediate reforms to strengthen student well-being, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.<\/p>\n
She said the Healthy Mind Screening programme, currently implemented across schools, would now be conducted twice annually to help identify early signs of depression or distress among students.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom these reports, we can detect signs of depression or indicators that a child needs support and intervention.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch students will then be referred to the relevant authorities, including the Health Ministry,\u201d she told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Oct 16).<\/p>\n
Fadhlina stressed that psychiatric intervention efforts are already in place, but the government\u2019s latest reform aims to further strengthen them through training and immediate intervention programmes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to emphasise that parents must also support these immediate interventions, as they spend more time with their children at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchools only have six hours with them, so we need parents\u2019 involvement to ensure children receive further treatment and the right ecosystem to support their mental health,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Fadhlina said this in response to Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu), who cited Unicef\u2019s Malaysian Youth Mental Health Index 2023 where around 6% of youths experience severe depression.<\/p>\n
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