To address this growing concern, Lukanisman said the health ministry was drafting a mental health action plan for children and teenagers, scheduled to be launched next year.

The plan, which aims to tackle mental health challenges affecting children and teenagers, is being developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization and Unicef.

“According to the National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS) report, the prevalence of mental health problems in this demographic has surged significantly, from 7.9% or 424,000 individuals in 2019, to 16.5% or 922,318 individuals in 2023.

“Furthermore, the NHMS highlighted an alarming rise in suicidal behaviour over the past decade. Suicidal ideation increased from 7.9% in 2012 to 13.1% in 2022, suicide plans rose from 6.4% in 2012 to 10% in 2022, and suicide attempts increased from 6.8% in 2012 to 9.5% in 2022,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.