08
issue: mental health
The HEALTH | JUNE, 2018
Depression
symptoms and
warning signs
Mental illness
not demonic
or spirit
possession
P
MENTAL illness is often mis-
understood. For centuries, it has
been seen as either possession
by evil spirits, a moral weakness
or punishment from a higher
being. Those suffering from
mental illness are commonly
perceived to be restless, violent
and unpredictable.
Malaysian Mental Health Asso-
ciation former president Datin Dr
Ang Kim Teng refutes this notion
and said that this is far from the
truth.
“There are many forms of
mental illness that differ in sever-
ity, duration and degree. It is a
disturbance of the mind which
can affect thinking, feeling and
behaviour that may interfere
with normal functioning, and thus
make daily life difficult.”
She explained that it is unclear
what causes mental disturbances.
“It is often preceded by
emotional stress and difficulty
coping with conflict or adjusting
to adverse events. Other factors
are biochemical imbalance, dete-
rioration of brain cells especially
in elderly people and alcohol or
drug abuse.”
She pointed to signs of behav-
ioural distress related to mental
health problems such as change in
mood and behaviour, social isola-
tion, increasing irritability, mood
swing, panic attacks manifested
by breathing difficulty, palpita-
tions and sweating, mass hysteria,
aggressive or violent behaviours,
bizarre behaviours such as being
delusional or mumbling to self
and attempts of self-harm or being
suicidal.
SYCHIATRIST would look at a few
symptoms prominent in patients
who are going through a depressive
face. Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of
Medicine & Allied Health Sciences senior
lecturer Dr Michael Ang Jin Kiat pointed
Females
more
vulnerable
to develop
depression
MAJOR Depressive Disorder
also commonly known as depres-
sion is another medical illness
which affects the human brain.
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Faculty of Medicine & Allied
Health Sciences senior lecturer
Dr Michael Ang Jin Kiat explained
that it is more common than
schizophrenia.
Compared to males, the
chances of a female getting
depression is higher where they
would experience mood swings
after delivery or post-partum
depression.
“Depression is not a sign of
weakness, a lot of people say
that because you’re weak, or that
you’ve got poor resilience and
that’s the cause of a person getting
depressed.”
“Most people are reluctant to
receive treatment because of the
stigma attached to it. However,
depression can be treated to make
you feel better,” he said.
Mental health second
biggest problem by 2020
F
Ng Chong Guan.
OUR out of every 10 Malaysians
will fall victim to some form of
mental health issue in their lives
and psychologists believe that the num-
bers will increase.
Based on a report published in 2016,
The Malaysian National Health Mor-
bidity Survey (NHMS), the number of
mental health patients had multiplied
two folds from 10 years ago with one in
every three Malaysian adults struggling
with mental health.
University of Malaya Faculty of Medi-
cine Associate Professor in Psychiatry,
associate professor Dr Ng Chong Guan
revealed that the number of psychiatrist