| Message from Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar on the occasion of World Mental Health Day 2018 |
WORLD Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10 every year around the world to highlight and raise awareness on the importance of mental health.
For Brunei Darussalam, it is an opportunity to review the measures we have implemented to increase mental health awareness, mobilise resources and support mental health initiatives, and to encourage people in the country to take better care of their mental health.
This is important to ensure everyone can have a healthy mental and physical well-being, as well as to ensure that each individual can enjoy their life to the fullest.
However, there are often individuals who do not give priority to their mental healthcare and this can have a negative effect.
In conjunction with the World Mental Health Day this year, the World Federation of Mental Health focusses on promoting mental health issues among youth with the theme Belia Muda dan Kesihatan Mental Dalam Perubahan Dunia (Young People and Mental Health in the Changing World).
As we know, adolescents and young adults undergo many changes in life, such as school exchanges, leaving home, starting a higher education and starting a career.
For most people, this is a very exciting level of life in which they will start learning about the meaning of life.
However, lifelong travel can lead to depression, fear or excessive anxiety, and if these are not identified and controlled early, this feeling can lead to mental health problems.
Undoubtedly, our youth today are faced with a multitude of pressure and are exposed to the challenges of their daily lives, especially in this rapidly changing modern era.
These pressures and challenges can arise either from the physical or virtual world (online) aspects that can have many negative effects on young people, such as cyberbullying that is increasingly widespread.
It is difficult to handle because at the same time, the use of online technology also provides many benefits and other positive effects.
Hence, identifying the issues that our youth can face today and giving attention, awareness and support to it is very important.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that half of all mental illnesses start at the age of 14, most of whom are not diagnosed and treated.
In terms of mental health disease among adolescents, depression was reported as the third highest cause, while suicide is the second highest cause of death among those between the ages of 15 and 29.
The problem of alcohol use and drug abuse among adolescents is reported as the top issue in many countries.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services of the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital has recorded nearly 600 consultations conducted in 2016.
This suggested that mental health problems affect people from a young age.
Bullying and suicide issues in our country are increasingly alarmingly and we need to be prepared to address these issues by making preparations and control as well as making appropriate and pragmatic initiatives and guidelines to address those issues.
Alhamdulillah, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Government through the MoH has provided mental health programmes for young people, including the Brunei Bebas Buli campaign (in collaboration with the Department of Schools) Jaga Minda Kita programme, and so on.
In addition, Insya Allah a mental health aid line for Brunei Darussalam will also be established in the near future.
The MoH believes that preventive measures, preliminary approaches, fostering resilience, and ensuring that information and services available to the population are the key factors in creating a healthy future for our youth.
Alhamdulillah, what we can see is that public awareness is growing helping young people prepare their mental health to cope with life’s challenges in the changing world.
More evidence suggest that protecting young people’s mental health can benefit not only their general health – both in the short and long term – but also on their economic and social progress.
With this strong, healthy and good mental resilience, young people will be able to enjoy and fulfil their potential further and contribute to their workforce, family and community, and society as a whole.
Lastly, myself and all the people of the MoH encourage Bruneian youth and other relevant organisations to join us in creating a platform where open and non-judging discussions can be held and help youth play a role as a catalyst in stopping the stigma; supporting acceptance and compassion against those who have mental illness; and also in promoting the importance of good mental health.