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The Healthy Mind Screening Programme, a joint initiative by the Education and Health Ministries, recorded a decline in the number of students at risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety
According to the New Straits Times, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek confirmed these findings in a written parliamentary reply to Wangsa Maju Member of Parliament (MP) Zahir Hassan, who had inquired about mental health statistics and the government's screening plans.
The data reveals encouraging downward trends of depression and anxiety in both primary and secondary schools
Among primary school pupils, the prevalence of early signs of depression fell from 36.42% in the 2022/2023 session to 35.50% in the 2023/2024 session.
Similarly, anxiety declined from 6.52% to 5.75% as of September. The drop was even more pronounced in secondary schools, where students showing early signs of depression decreased from 2.21% to just 0.80% as of September, and severe early signs of anxiety dropped from 4.83% to 2.01% during the same period.
Fadhlina credited this positive trend to the effectiveness of the early detection measures, psychosocial support initiatives, and focused interventions implemented in schools
She emphasised that these efforts are part of a continuous preventive approach to safeguard student wellbeing.
The ministry currently conducts general mental health screenings once a year, with students identified as having severe or very severe mental health issues undergoing screening twice annually.
