'Rakan Muda Comfort Room' offers youth mental health support - Deputy Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), through the 'Rakan Muda Comfort Room' programme, is offering mental health support to youths who have been affected during or after the pandemic period.

Its Deputy Minister, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, said that the Rakan Muda Comfort Room offered, among other things, mental health support, early intervention programme, mental health assessment, support group activities - 'Circle Time', as well as talks and mental health awareness programmes.

He added that it will operate on a daily basis, either online or face-to-face, depending on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the National Security Council (MKN).

"In this regard, I invite youths in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding area to take advantage of the services that will be offered," he said when officiating the mental health forum, 'Young Minds: Time to Act', virtually, yesterday.

He said that the programme, in collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Youth and Sports Department (WPKL) and the Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA), was a manifestation of synergy between the government and civil society organisations to provide support to youths in Kuala Lumpur.

He said that mental health is not a new topic, but has become increasingly pressing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world since the end of 2019.

"It is even more worrying when studies show that in 2020, mental health problems were the second biggest problem that killed Malaysians. A total of 1,738 suicide cases were recorded by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) from 2019 to May this year.

He also welcomed more non-governmental organisations to collaborate with KBS on mental health to help the community during these difficult times.

-- BERNAMA