Shazeema Mashood Shah said it was essential that any stigma attached to students seeking help must be addressed and dealt with.
She was referring to the case of the 13-year-old girl who died at the Seberang Jaya Hospital at 3.30am today following a suicide attempt on Jan 17, after she had been accused of stealing her teacher’s iPhone the same day.
“Yes, they do have counselors at schools but we must look at the stigmas attached to seeing counselors for help.
“It is essential to make counselors more approachable to students. This will make a world of difference when a student has a problem and needs to talk to someone,” she told FMT.
She added that this was because there is also a general stigma over the issue of seeking help from mental health professionals in Malaysia.
“There is also the feeling that counselors might not be helpful to the problems students may be going through. This is an incorrect assumption.”
Shazeema advised counselors who are not savvy with helping troubled students and those with more severe mental health problems to reach out to those who were more qualified on the subject.
“Teenagers can be easily troubled by many factors. They can be triggered by major disappointments, stress and pressure to excel, and depression.
“If someone has tried to commit suicide before, then the likelihood that it could reoccur is high,” said the clinical psychologist attached to WeCare Allied Health Center.
In the case of M Vasanthapiriya, who was accused of stealing the iPhone, the student could have been under intense pressure and she might not have known what to do and how to handle the situation and that could have driven her to suicide.
“Teenagers go through a vulnerable period at this stage. No matter how big or small their problems are, their problems may seem unbearable and overwhelming.
“So, it is hard to determine what she was thinking but it was most likely she didn’t think she had a way out and the only way to prove her innocence was through suicide,” she said.
Shazeema called for more public awareness campaigns to advocate to students that there is always someone available to help them deal with their problems.
“What all teenagers need to know is that no matter how hard life may be at that point, someone is always there to help.
“There needs to be more suicide prevention awareness campaigns, so that teens know what to do when confronted with difficult situations.”
On Jan 17, a teacher had accused the SMK Methodist Nibong Tebal student of stealing her iPhone 6.
The teacher allegedly confined Vasanthapiriya in her office, and threatened to lodge a police report if she did not own up.
Vasanthapiriya was then confined to a room for nearly five hours without a break.
The teacher and her husband later drove the girl home and met her parents, during which time Vasanthapiriya hanged herself with a shawl in her room.
She left a note saying, “I did not steal your phone, teacher.”