Originally published on 4 June, I withheld publishing it on reddit as a protest.
THE National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022 has brought to light alarming trends affecting Malaysian teenagers.
Suicidal thoughts, verbal and physical abuse within homes, and bullying and cyberbullying have emerged as critical issues affecting the well-being of our youth.
The prevalence of suicidal thoughts among teenagers especially demands urgent attention from all of society. We need to prioritise mental health support and destigmatise seeking help. (OP’s note: attempted suicide has since been decriminalised)
I don’t think expanding support is really the answer. It’s good, but only as good as building more hospitals because traffic accident is on the rise.
I would say a lot of it comes from unrealistic expectations, weakening of the family unit, and breakdown of community/society. It is already bad enough for milleneals like me, Gen Z will have it worse.
Seriously, if we can’t figure out how to raise a kid in this new reality just yet, it better not to have children for now.
Understandable, since it’s not really looking at the problem at the root cause, but having more support isn’t a bad idea. With the evolution and shifting society value, having the tools to help with introspection and coping strategies is the next best thing.
