KUALA LUMPUR: The government will increase the frequency of mental health screenings for school students from once to twice a year as part of immediate reforms to strengthen student well-being, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
She said the Healthy Mind Screening programme, currently implemented across schools, would now be conducted twice annually to help identify early signs of depression or distress among students.
“From these reports, we can detect signs of depression or indicators that a child needs support and intervention.
“Such students will then be referred to the relevant authorities, including the Health Ministry,” she told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Oct 16).
Fadhlina stressed that psychiatric intervention efforts are already in place, but the government’s latest reform aims to further strengthen them through training and immediate intervention programmes.
“I want to emphasise that parents must also support these immediate interventions, as they spend more time with their children at home.
“Schools only have six hours with them, so we need parents’ involvement to ensure children receive further treatment and the right ecosystem to support their mental health,” she said.
Fadhlina said this in response to Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu), who cited Unicef’s Malaysian Youth Mental Health Index 2023 where around 6% of youths experience severe depression.