MOH rules out full-time mental health counsellors in secondary schools

The Health Ministry has no intention to provide full-time mental health counsellors in secondary schools, said minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.

In a written parliamentary reply dated July 31, the minister highlighted that counselling services are available at health facilities and can be accessed at existing health clinics and hospitals.

He also asserted that the Health Ministry and Education Ministry have collaborated to address mental health issues through various initiatives involving students and teachers.

Such programmes, he said, include the School Mental Health Programme, the Health Promotion in Learning Institutions programme, and training for future teachers via the Helping Adolescents Thrive: Mei and Friends Comic Module.

“These programmes focus on strengthening prevention strategies through advocacy activities (while) empowering students to manage their own mental health by building coping skills and resilience,” Dzulkefly said.

He said this in response to Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein’s query on whether the Health Ministry has plans to station full-time mental health counsellors in secondary schools in light of rising mental health issues among students and a shortage of professional support staff in educational institutions.

Last month, it was reported that a total of 1,020 out of 36,428 secondary school students in Selangor had shown early signs of being at high risk for depression.

Addressing the Selangor legislative assembly, state public health and environment committee chairperson Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the findings, based on a screening analysis for the 2024/2025 school session, indicated that overall psychosocial behaviour among students remains under control.

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