Many mental health cases go untreated mainly due to the deep-seated societal stigma towards people facing mental health challenges. The Ministry of Health Malaysia’s MENTARI Malaysia programme is dedicated to changing public perception of mental health issues and helping the affected individuals to lead normal lives.
This first of a two-part article highlights the services offered by the MENTARI Malaysia facility in Sandakan, Sabah.
Even in this era of better access to information and heightened awareness of mental health issues, individuals are still marginalised or “hidden” by their families for being perceived as “insane”, depriving them of treatment and reducing their chances of leading a normal life.
Mental health experts have reiterated that with the right treatment, medication and care, individuals with mental disorders can improve significantly, empowering them to stand on their own feet.
To this end, the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) has rebranded its Community Mental Health Centres as MENTARI Malaysia, aiming to give mental healthcare a more positive connotation and encourage families with members facing mental health issues to seek treatment.
MENTARI Malaysia was initiated in 2014 as a new approach to improve the ministry’s outreach services and support the reintegration of people with mental health issues who are undergoing treatment. There are now 33 Mentari Malaysia facilities nationwide, including two in Sabah (in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan).
REHABILITATION
Sandakan’s MENTARI Malaysia facility, which goes by the name MENTARI Elopura, comes under the purview of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the Duchess of Kent Hospital here. The department is headed by Dr Cheang Yue Wen.
Operating since 2018, MENTARI Elopura currently has 60 patients or clients.
In an interview with Bernama, Dr Cheang said the centre facilitates access to mental health treatment, with an emphasis on providing care as early as possible to prevent patients’ conditions from worsening.
“Generally, patients come in as walk-ins. However, since we are still new to the community here in Sandakan (not many people know about us), we are trying an appointment-based approach first,” she said, adding MENTARI Elopura, which used to be located in the Duchess of Kent Hospital, is now operating in the same building as Sandakan Ren Ai Counselling Association, Sabah, at Jalan Utara Batu 1½ here.
She explained MENTARI Elopura puts emphasis on the concept of rehabilitation so that their clients can be reintegrated into society.
“We focus on treating as well as training clients so they can become independent and contribute to the community.
“We are optimistic that even patients with schizophrenia, who hear voices and talk to themselves, can go to work if they receive appropriate treatment,” she said, adding the centre’s core services include providing their clients job placement support and enabling them to participate in job transition programmes.
She said out of the 60 clients currently seeking treatment at the centre, 27 are interested in working and are being guided through the employment support programme.
“However, if clients do not wish to work, we don’t force them. We will, instead, place them in a job transition programme where they are taught skills such as farming, cooking or sewing,” she added.
MONITOR
Dr Cheang said out of the 27 clients interested in working, 16 have successfully been placed in various job sectors, including restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, hotels and law firms. Some have gone into goat farming and content creation.
“We have one client who was diagnosed with major depression but is currently working at a hotel here. Working helps them rediscover their life goals and makes them happier,” she said.
She added clients who are employed will be monitored by nurses, medical officers or occupational therapists.
“In the first month of employment, they will visit the clients at their workplace once a week to find out if they are facing any issue related to their job or health.
“After that, if there are no issues, visits will be conducted once a month for up to a year, or as requested by the employer,” she said.
However, she added, one of the main challenges in placing clients in the workforce is the attitude of society, including employers.
“All we want for our clients is the opportunity to work and reintegrate into the community. Employers who hire them can even apply for tax exemptions,” she said.
COLLABORATE
Dr Cheang also urged the local community to collaborate with MENTARI Elopura in providing employment opportunities to their clients, as well as organising programmes and seminars to prepare them to join the workforce and reintegrate into society.
She also said MENTARI Elopura is partnering with various organisations to diversify its rehabilitation activities for clients.
“Currently, we are collaborating with Sandakan Polytechnic on the Smart Community Programme. We are also working with the Ulu Dusun Agricultural Research Centre on pineapple and banana cultivation projects.
“We also plan to work with the Sandakan Ren Ai Counselling Association on a horticultural and hydroponics project behind the Ren Ai building,” she added.
Meanwhile, the head of Psychiatry at MOH Dr Nor Hayati Ali, who is also a senior consultant in community and rehab psychiatry, said the ministry hopes to increase the number of MENTARI Malaysia facilities to 40 by next year.
“Our population is growing and if we stick to the old approach of waiting until patients are admitted to wards, eventually, the wards will be full. Therefore, we need to prevent the situation from worsening.
“MENTARI clients are like anyone else, it’s just that they are facing some mental challenges. They can take medication but direct interactions with others often make them feel better.
“People shouldn’t be afraid if a family member has a mental illness... the important thing is to help them get treatment… let them continue with their lives until their condition stabilises. Only when they are left untreated do problems arise,” she said.
She urged the public to support family members with mental health issues by ensuring they receive the necessary treatment.
“A support system, especially from the family, is crucial as part of ongoing care,” she added.
Translated by Rema Nambiar
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