Social media bullying has great negative impacts, says expert

Types of social media bullying include posting negative comments on pictures, posting abusive posts on a user's wall, using pictures or videos to make fun of another user, using social media to stalk, hacking an account or fraudulently making posts as though another person wrote them.

"The negative impact of social media bullying has gone beyond countries and is difficult to intervene," she said at a press conference after the opening of the 29th World Congress of The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the 21st Malaysian Conference of Psychological Medicine (MCPM) at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.

It was officiated by Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.

She said there was a need to raise awareness that suicide and mental health difficulties are a serious public health problem but the condition is preventable and treatment available.

Meanwhile the conference organising chairman Professor T. Maniam said the incidence of people committing suicide in Malaysia was still low as compared to other countries like Japan and Korea.

He said the rate in Malaysia is six to eight persons per 100,000 people, which is about 2,000 persons a year while in some countries the rate is 20 per 100,000 people.

"Suicide cases in Malaysia, however, remain a worrying and traumatic issue and suicidal behaviour is a growing cause for concern as suicide cases have increased over the past years," he said, adding that suicide was due to depression and combination of several other factors.

The conference, which started yesterday and ends on July 22, will address a wide range of topics such as national suicide prevention programmes, clinical and psychosocial interventions, helplines, mental health promotion, culture, high-risk groups, epigenetics, suicide bereavement support, suicide and media, decriminalisation of suicide and restricting access to lethal means.