Noor Hisham said these statistics were alarming because mental health issues tend to become evident by the age of 24.

“The low number of people seeking professional care over their mental well-being is attributed to social stigma and lack of education on mental health,” he said at the launch of the well-being and research centre and PhD in psychology programme at UCSI University.

He said the issue of mental well-being had never been more important, especially considering that fewer than 40% of people with mental health problems received treatment.

“Would we accept it if only 60% of cancer patients in society receive treatment?

“No, we would not, so why should we accept it when it comes to mental health and well-being?” he added.

Last month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government would establish a dedicated institution to address mental health issues.

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Anwar said the move was to strengthen efforts to address the problem by coordinating the efforts of government, private sector and civil society organisations.

The prime minister also said mental health is a top priority for the government.