Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (Miasa) president Anita Abu Bakar said there must be a holistic approach in helping people suffering from mental health problems.

She said although Malaysia had strengthened mental health rights, mental health patients still faced widespread discrimination and stigma, which Miasa was striving to address.

She added that though some doctors and mental health professionals still felt there was a need to put patients in institutions, Miasa was focused on information so that the right decision can be made.

“Institutionalisation is something we can’t talk about openly. The moment you put someone into an institution, it’s a form of coercion,” she said.

Miasa, which is celebrating its fourth anniversary today, has also launched its 24/7 helpline in collaboration with Yayasan Sime Darby and Maxis to expand its services and reach out to more people.

“We are here to help ease the burden on the mental health system.

“Today, we have exactly 100 volunteers to help with this crisis and we are aiming to get 150 volunteers by December,” Anita said.

She also said Miasa would be introducing various ways such as music therapy to help people with their issues.

It would also launch a mobile application next year to help curb the current rise in mental health issues nationwide.

“We’ll include features where people with disabilities can also access the app. It will have voice recognition and a panic button,” she said.

Yayasan Sime Darby chief executive officer Yatela Zainal Abidin said the foundation would fund volunteer training programmes and provide allowances for volunteers at the Miasa helpline.

She said the health ministry received more than 160,000 calls on mental health issues between January and September this year, which was four times the number of calls received last year.

“Poor mental health may lead to poor physical health and also harmful behaviour,” she said.

Those struggling to cope mentally can call the Miasa helpline at 1-800-820-066.