Two-day Discussion On ASEAN Youth Mental Health Draws 135 Participants
KOTA KINABALU, June 29 (Bernama) -- A total of 135 participants from ASEAN member states and Timor Leste attended the two-day Roundtable Discussion: ASEAN Youth Mental Health 2025 held here, which began yesterday.
Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh said the forum brought together participants from various backgrounds, including mental health experts, religious figures, policymakers, government officials, civil society representatives and youth.
In the Malaysian context, she said the forum was crucial as findings from the Malaysian Youth Mental Health Index Study 2023 (MyMHI'23) indicated that the mental health of youths aged 15 to 30 remained at a moderate level.
"For a serious issue like this, the government needs the involvement of all parties to come together and discuss. In this case, we need the cooperation of medical experts, youth representatives and religious groups," she said after opening the programme here today.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES) Acting Chief Executive Officer Shahhanim Yahya said that today's youth appear to struggle with their self-identity, as they are increasingly open about expressing emotions and stress on social media.
"The scope of stress is broad, and this is why it's important for us to better understand the youth...to determine whether the cause of stress stems from within themselves or from their surrounding ecosystem," she said.
Themed "ASEAN Youth Voice: Empowering Minds, Ensuring Well-being", the programme aims to address the mental health challenges of ASEAN youth through regional cooperation, exchange of best practices and promoting inclusive advocacy to increase mental health literacy and improve access to mental health care.
-- BERNAMA
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