Photo via The News International
The Health Ministry (MOH) has revealed that 37,009 calls were made to mental health helplines over the Movement Control Order (MCO) period up until November 11th.
These include calls made to all mental health services and psychosocial support by MOH, as well as by other government agencies and non-governmental organisations such as MERCY Malaysia.
Of these phone calls, most sought emotional and psychological support (19,729 calls or 53.3%).
Meanwhile, 12.6% called asking for more information on the COVID-19 virus, 4.98% asked for donations or assistance, 4.6% asked for help on domestic issues, and 2.9% sought help on domestic violence.
“For the operation of such call services, those on duty who handle it are composed of psychology counselling officers and medical experts trained in the mental health field,” the ministry said.
A further breakdown showed that 52.1% of the calls were from females, seeking support related to household and domestic violence, while most of the calls from males (47.9%) were to complain about their employers, obtain information regarding COVID-19 and to seek aid.
Those aged between 20 to 39-years-old accounted for half of such calls at 55.3%, followed by those aged between 40 to 59-years-old at 30.8%.
If you’re unsure about whether you need emotional and psychological support, check out our article on debunking the common misconceptions about seeking help for mental health.
Check up on your loved ones during these trying times, people!
by Kyle Roshen Jacob
