Experts see an urgent need for the government to address the shortage of psychiatrists, especially in rural hospitals and community treatment facilities.
This is especially crucial given a recent report that government hospitals recorded a 14.6% increase in schizophrenia patients last year compared to 2021.
Psychologist Fauziah Saad from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris said increasing the number of psychiatrists would support those who require ongoing follow-up care.
This could be achieved through training scholarships and placements in district hospitals, she suggested.
“Schizophrenia requires long-term treatment and continuous monitoring, not just episodic care during crises. Patients need community-based rehabilitation, halfway homes, and job integration programmes.
“Community-based treatment should be strengthened, while frontliners – including family doctors, counsellors and welfare officers – can be trained to detect and support patients early,” she told FMT.
Recently, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the number of schizophrenia patients recorded in government hospitals was 7,468 in 2022, a 3% increase from the previous year.
That number rose to 8,481 patients in 2023, before dropping slightly to 8,303 last year.
Malaysian Mental Health Association president Andrew Mohanraj said the figures could be attributed to improved detection and awareness, which reflected better mental health services under the ministry.
He nevertheless agreed that the government must work to increase the number of clinical psychologists and counsellors.
“Private hospitals can help by starting inpatient psychiatric services. This will reduce the burden of care on public hospitals,” he said.
“The private sector must also play its role, instead of focusing only on economic returns or giving excuses for not wanting to provide inpatient psychiatric services in their hospitals.”
