PETALING JAYA: Community mental health centres will help address the rising cases of suicide.
National Institute of Occupa- tional Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the centres would deal with the stigmatisation of mentally-ill people and create awareness on mental health.
He said a community mental health centre, like the pilot one in Putrajaya, should be set up in other states.
“People will feel more comfortable going to such centres compared to places like Tanjung Rambutan,” said Lee.
The centre, launched late last year, provides mental health counselling and treatment, rehabilitation programmes to help patients assimilate into society and a community psychiatric team to provide home treatment for patients with severe mental illness.
It is next to a health clinic which offers outpatient treatment along with gynaecology, paediatric and follow-up treatment for chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes.
“We need to respond to tragedies related to mental disorders with compassion.
“Of late there has been an increase in incidents involving persons with mental health disorders.
“On Aug 26, a man believed to be mentally unstable was suspected to have committed suicide by jumping from Centre Point Sabah,” Lee said.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai last week said a comprehensive approach was being taken to prevent suicides amid the increasing number of such cases over the past four years.
The number of suicide cases has increased steadily from 113 in 2007 to 290 (2008), 328 (2009) and 425 in 2010.
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