| Monday, 02 August 2021 01:00 PM MYT |
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By Prof. Dato’ Dr Andrew Mohanraj
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Judging from the calls received by helplines in the country during the past year, there has been a significant increase in cases of anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
Malaysians were also shocked at the sudden recent spike in the number of suicide cases.
We can speculate that the sudden psychological decompensation could have been related to loss of income, loneliness and change of lifestyle due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Exacerbation of pre-existing mental health conditions could have also resulted in this.
This scenario is likely to linger with us for some time as we continue to deal with the pandemic, and even as we recover from its aftermath in the hopefully near future.
The present circumstances have introduced an unexpected new level of uncertainty in our lives.