29.5% of Kelantan teens experience moderate to severe depression, assembly told

KOTA BHARU: About 29.5% of teenagers aged 13 to 19 in Kelantan recorded moderate to severe depression symptoms during a mental health screening conducted in the state in 2025.

Kelantan local government, housing, health and environment committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah said adults aged 20 to 39 recorded the highest percentage of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms at 47%.

He said these findings showed that young people were among the groups that needed special attention through promotional approaches, early detection, early intervention and continuous psychosocial support.

Hilmi said this when responding to a question by Hafidzah Mustakim (PH-Kota Lama) on the mental health status of Kelantan youth at the state legislative assembly sitting at Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.

He said various early intervention, community counselling and psychosocial support programmes had been and are being implemented throughout the state to help those in need.

The programmes include the Minda Sejahtera Community Programme (K-MINDSET), suicide prevention training, the provision of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services to victims of crises and disasters, as well as psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) and MENTARI mental rehabilitation programmes.

“So far, each district has two K-MINDSET localities with a total of 164 volunteers. A special module for adolescent and youth mental health was also developed using interactive approaches such as gamification to attract the attention of the target group,” Hilmi said.

He said 15 special MHPSS psychosocial lines were also provided to facilitate quicker psychological support, advice and early help for the public.

To make it easier for the public to access early screening, the state health department has also provided an online Minda Sihat screening platform which allows the public to undergo self-screening, receive results immediately and obtain information on help channels.