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Abstract
Studying trends in mental health morbidity will guide the planning of future interventions for mental and public health services. To assess the trends in mental health problems among children and adolescents aged 5 through 15 years in Malaysia from 1996 to 2011, data from the children's mental health component of three population-based surveys was analysed using a two-stage stratified sampling design. Mental health problems were assessed using the Reporting Questionnaire for Children. The prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents aged 5 through 15 years showed an increasing trend from 13.0% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 11.5–14.6) in 1996 to 19.4% (95% CI: 18.5–20.3) in 2006 and 20.0% (95% CI: 18.8–21.3) in 2011. In 2011, male children and adolescents and those who were in less affluent families were significantly associated with mental health problems. The findings indicate that even though mental health problems among children and adolescents in Malaysia are increasing, the rate of increase has decreased in the past five years. Socially and economically disadvantaged groups were most vulnerable to mental health problems.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Director General of Health Malaysia for his permission to publish the findings of the three National Health and Morbidity Surveys.
Notes on contributors
Dr NoorAni Ahmad is a public health specialist with special interest in adolescent mental health.
Dr Fadhli MuhdYusoff is a public health specialist and researcher at the Institute for Public Health, Malaysia.
Dr Selva Ratnasingam is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Dr Fauziah Mohamed is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Dr Nazrila Hairizan Nasir is a family medicine physician.
Ms Syafinaz MohdSallehuddin is a public health specialist and researcher at the Institute for Public Health, Malaysia.
Ms Balkish MahadirNaidu is a public health specialist and researcher at the Institute for Public Health, Malaysia.
Dr Rohana Ismail is a public health specialist at the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Dr Tahir Aris is a public health specialist and researcher at the Institute for Public Health, Malaysia.