PETALING JAYA: Parents and schools have to play an important role in identifying and providing children with mental health support, especially for those from the lower income group, according to experts.

       Malaysian Mental Health Association president Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj said deteriorating school performance, having difficulty concentrating, being withdrawn and having negative thoughts about themselves are some of the red flags displayed by children.

       “For those who are struggling to cope, parents and the school system need to play a positive role in identifying and supporting such children,” he said.

       He said parents could easily notice if their children are having trouble sleeping, being quieter than usual or having sudden outbursts of tears and anger over minor incidents as well as displaying alarming nail biting, hair twisting or thumb sucking.

       This, Dr Mohanraj said, could indicate underlying psychological issues.

       “Struggling children from B40 homes often go unnoticed because parents are pre-occupied with bread and butter issues, which was very evident during the successive lockdowns.

       “Parents’ mental health is often compromised during such difficult times and this can result in compromised parenting skills,” Dr Mohanraj noted.

       Assoc Prof Dr Anasuya Jegathevi Jegathesan, Dean of University of Cyberjaya’s Faculty of Psychology and Social Sciences, said it is important to create resources for children from the B40 group which will help them develop skills and allow them to take themselves out of their situation.

       This can be done through extra-curricular activities, tuition and dance classes, among others.

       “When we are talking about B40 we are talking about access to resources, access to education and basic needs and sometimes luxuries,” she said.

       “Children like a bit of luxuries; they like a bit of toys and games which other people don’t have, but nobody wants to be a charity case all the time,” she added.

       On increasing access to mental health therapy, she said therapy and counselling rates can be affordable depending on location, adding that some do provide free counselling.

       “All schools in Malaysia are supposed to have therapy and counselling and so are workplaces,” Dr Anasuya said.

       She also said that there should be insurance coverage for mental health.

       Checks showed that the average rate for therapy and counselling in the private sector ranges around RM100 and RM200 per session, while the rates could go as low as RM1 for registration at government facilities and RM5 for counselling.

       The National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2019 found that some 424,000 children in Malaysia are struggling with mental health problems, indicating that mental health issues among the group may have become an epidemic.