Depression and other forms of mental health issues can be difficult to detect at an early stage, according to a psychiatrist, Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj. He explained that symptoms of depression, such as generalised body aches, back pain, headaches, and sleep difficulties, are often treated by general practitioners with medication for the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause.
Dr Andrew went on to emphasize that patients could become dependent on the prescribed drugs, which may remain undetected for a long time.
To address this issue, the Malaysian Society for Academic Psychiatry (MSAP) is launching a certificate course in mental health endorsed by Universiti Kebabgsaan Malaysia. This course is designed to give general practitioners the knowledge needed to identify and treat mental health symptoms.
Dr Andrew, who is also the MSAP president, believes that empowering general practitioners to examine and treat mental health cases will positively impact the mental health landscape of the country.
MSAP’s six-month training programme for general practitioners will start on April 2 and will include 20 modules covering various conditions such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, dementia, and addiction psychiatry.
It will also include basic counseling skills and emphasis on workplace mental health.
General practitioners who are interested in pursuing the programme can write to [email protected] for further details.
Mental Health Association (SMHA) secretary Mohan Chitran suggested that empowering panel doctors in factories and industries in Selangor would aid Malaysian workers facing workplace related mental health issues as well as foreign workers dealing with mental stress due to the challenging new cultural environment in the state.
She also added that SMHA was willing to collaborate with Selcare, the state’s primary healthcare platform to help provide more robust mental health care services.
Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin applauded the efforts to train general practitioners to recognize mental health issues and integrate mental health care into primary healthcare.
She also commended SMHA for being involved in the proposed training of the state’s general practitioners to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and manage mental health issues at an early stage.
