The Malaysian Insight

THE Covid-19 pandemic has brought about economic ruin and job losses for many but besides such physical effects, the mental toll it takes on the public must not be dismissed, said psychologists.

They said the unseen enemy is causing much anxiety to the people because of the many uncertainties, and this can easily affect one’s mental health.

According to them, youngsters and old folk are the most affected.

This doesn’t mean adults are not affected but they are more likely to adapt to the changes and find emotional outlets, they said, but youth and senior citizens are less likely to be able to find such channels to vent.

Registered psychological counsellor Alice Lee said there has been a drastic increase in consultations since the pandemic reached Malaysia in March.

“Before the pandemic I would have about 10 cases a week, but now I’m getting 15 to 20 cases a week. That’s an increase of at least 30% to 50%, and many of them are schoolchildren,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Alice’s number of pupil patients increased by 50% and they are mostly from the Form 3 and 5 group.

“They are worried if examinations will proceed and they are anxious about the uncertainties. Some pupils are also considering dropping out of school.

“Some are also pupils who have had to switch schools, such as a Year 6 pupil going into Form 1. Even under normal circumstances, this was already a huge change and the dropout rate may increase if this is not managed properly.”

Alice helps patients on a case-to-case basis, such as arranging coordination efforts between parents and schools if the pupil’s anxiety stems from learning.

“For example, if there’s too much homework, then the parents can ask the school if it’s possible to reduce the amount.

“While at home, parents also have many roles to play, including as a channel of communication as the children have not been to school for months, and feel alienated from the school as a result.” 

She said even though there are online classes in some areas, such classes are reliant on the pupil’s self-discipline, which is relatively poor.

Other than schoolchildren, Alice is also offering online consultations with clients who are senior citizens living alone.

“They have no children, they cannot go out, and they are feeling very lonely as a result. If they find no meaning in life, then it is very dangerous as they can get suicidal at any moment.

“If you have seniors at home, you need to carefully observe whether there are drastic changes to their lifestyle. For example, if they are not tending to the garden like they usually do and are just sitting at home. Then you have to act and spend more time with them.”

Meanwhile, adults also have to face many stressful situations, such as losing one’s job, income troubles and others, even if they are more likely to be able to handle the stress compared to youngsters and senior citizens, she said.

Another counsellor, Lee Shae Nee, agrees, saying that most adults know that they first have to take care of themselves before being able to help others, and thus are more adept at finding solutions to their predicaments.

Shae Nee said adults can evaluate their emotional wellbeing for a better understanding of their own mental health.

“You can ask yourself, from a scale of 1-10, how are you feeling today? 1 is very good, 2 is relaxed, 3 is calm, 4 is ok, 5 is the onset of anxiety, whereas 8 and 9 are approaching the breaking point, and 10 is a complete breakdown.

“If you sense that you are approaching your limit, you need to seek help. You can either approach your family or friends, or maybe even relieve stress through exercise.”

Shae Nee warns that the mental health situation will worsen if the pandemic drags on, underscoring the importance of prevention.

“Many are focused on the many economic impacts of Covid-19 but have neglected their own mental health, but this is just like the common cold, the longer you ignore it, the worse it gets.

“Mental health is the same, we are always under stress, but we do not know which is the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

With everyone stressed out about many things, it is important to find ways to cope, she said. However, those who feel mentally depressed for more than two weeks should seek professional help.

“If your friends or family are unable to alleviate your stress, or they are perhaps even making it worse, then it’s for the best that you seek professional help,” Shae Nee said.

Alice, meanwhile, said everyone was a little depressed due to the uncertainties caused by the pandemic, and everyone needs to be concerned about the mental health of those around them to get through these difficult times.

In the period between March 25 and October 19, the mental health hotlines set up by the Health Ministry, Mercy Malaysia, and other charity organisations received a total of 36,269 calls.

Among them, 50% needed emotional guidance. In that percentage group, 14.7% asked about the pandemic, 8.8% were about domestic violence, 6.8% asked for donations or basic needs assistance, 3.3% were about complaints, 2.2% were about mental illnesses while the remaining 1.1% was about health issues. – November 5, 2020.