Dr Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, Unicef’s representative in Malaysia, said he was heartbroken by the news that teenagers, aged 15 to 18, made up 51% of the total 1,708 suicide cases between January 2019 and May 2021, as reported by the police today.

“The Covid-19 pandemic and mitigation efforts such as the lockdown have had negative effects on the mental health of many, including our youth,” he said.

He added that the prolonged lockdown had also deprived young people of the social connections that are so crucial at this time of their life.

He said children have been out of school and have missed out on learning and socialising milestones, adding that their parents might have lost their jobs and this had, in turn, created added stress in their family environment.

Rashed said mental health concerns have long been a neglected part of well-being and the statistics on the suicides should be a wake-up call to do more for the mental health of all children in Malaysia.

“There should also be an opportunity to build on parenting programmes to ensure that children from vulnerable families get the support and protection they need at home.

“It is only through a holistic and multi-pronged approach that we can give children the support they need,” he said.

Rashed added that there are also free helplines that children and young people can call to seek help and receive emotional support.

This includes Talian Kasih – 15999 (24 hours), Talian BuddyBear – 1800-18-2327(BEAR) from 12pm-12am and Befrienders – 03-76272929 (24 hours).

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