Mental illness is on the rise in Gen Y

IT’S never easy being young. Pop culture classics such as the film ‘Rebel without a Cause’ and the book ‘Catcher in the Rye’ articulated the restlessness and angst of young adulthood, but it seems that Generation Y (Gen Y) Đ those born in the mid 1980’s and after Đ have it much harder.

“Academic stress, sexual awakening and body image are just a few of the classic blues that accompany young adulthood.

However these problems intensify further for Gen Y, due to an increasingly fast-paced life and the weakening of family ties,” says Adnan Omar, who heads the Counseling and Psychological Services Centre (CPSC) at Taylor’s University College.

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“More and more parents are divorcing, and parents nowadays are usually too busy working to pay attention to their children,” he explains.

Thus, Gen Y faces a sense of loneliness as they find themselves unable to communicate their concerns to their parents. Added to this is the quickening pace of daily life which subjects Gen Y to a lot of expectations and stress. This ultimately shows up in the rise of mental illnesses among them, which includes addiction, depression and anxiety.

The numbers say it all; according to the National Suicide Registry of Malaysia, the largest age-group of Malaysians committing suicide is those aged 20 to 29. Dr Kadir Abu Bakar, the vice-president of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association notes that the rate of mental health patients among the young have increased from 14 percent in 1996 to nearly 20 percent in 2006.

Despite the alarming statistics, mental illness remains a misunderstood topic.

During the run-up to the first Taylor’s Mental Health Week in 2008, several students were quizzed about their knowledge of mental health. “Is that a new McDonald’s burger?” responded a student when asked if he knew what schizophrenia was. When asked what was mental illness, one student blurted, “It’s that crazy thing!” while others were silent.

The Counseling and Psychological Services Centre (CPSC) aims to rectify the lack of awareness about mental health awareness by engaging with students and lecturers alike. It occasionally holds talks regarding various issues that concern students such as depression, exam anxiety, stress management and how to lead a balanced life and offers counseling for students. It also tries to reach out on a big scale.

The recently concluded Taylor’s Second Annual Mental Health Week which was open to both students and the public had experts talking about issues such as depression, addiction, personality disorders, suicide, sleep, learning and eating disorders and schizophrenia.

However, Taylor’s students are still largely unaware of The Counseling and Psychological Services Centre, with only two percent of students seeking its services.

“The more people know about mental health, the better informed they are, the less prejudice they have and the more they can help others,” he says.

Need a listening ear? The Counseling and Psychological Services Centre offers individual, group and family counseling and can be contacted at extension number 5024/5025.

By: Mohani Niza (23.09.10)