Understanding Mental Health Among School Students in Malaysia

By Aashriita Muniandy

Mental health encompasses a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how individuals think, feel, relate to others, and cope with challenges in life. For children and adolescents, mental health is crucial in shaping their ability to learn, form friendships, and manage change. It is not simply the absence of mental illness but the presence of emotional regulation, adaptability, and meaningful relationships.

In Malaysia, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly deepened concerns about student mental health. Prolonged school closures, isolation during key developmental periods, and shifting academic expectations have compounded pressures that many students were already facing, particularly those in lower-income or underserved communities. These issues now cut across school levels, but they manifest differently depending on age and context. Among primary school students aged seven to twelve, one of the most critical impacts has been the disruption of foundational learning. A 2022 UNICEF Malaysia report highlighted how the early stages of literacy, numeracy, and social development were stunted by pandemic-related school closures. Students who missed those foundational years are now struggling to catch up, often entering classrooms unequipped to cope either academically or socially.

This has given rise to heightened academic anxiety and low self-esteem. Teachers across the country have reported a noticeable increase in emotional outbursts, withdrawal, and behavioural challenges. This was particularly evident among children who had limited opportunities for peer interaction during lockdowns. Compounding the problem is the widespread use of digital devices during this period. Excessive screen time has made it harder for young students to develop patience, empathy, and interpersonal skills. Many now struggle with attention spans, misread social cues, and find it difficult to engage in collaborative learning environments. These are not just behavioural concerns, but signs of emotional dysregulation that point to deeper difficulties in managing stress and adapting to classroom routines.

Secondary school students, aged thirteen to seventeen, face a more complex landscape of mental health challenges. One of the most pressing is academic disengagement, especially among students in B40 households. A 2023 Ministry of Education study found that these students were particularly vulnerable to what has been described as academic burnout: a product of disrupted learning, financial strain at home, and a growing disillusionment with the promise that education guarantees social mobility. Many teenagers now adopt a “learn-to-pass” mindset, where the goal is to simply survive the system, not thrive within it.

In parallel, digital dependence has reconfigured adolescent identity and social interaction. Social media usage among teenagers has reached unprecedented levels, contributing to a rise in anxiety, comparison-based self-esteem issues, and a breakdown in real-life communication skills. Students increasingly retreat into online escapism, be it gaming, scrolling, or content consumption, as a coping mechanism to avoid stressors at school or home. While some find healthier outlets such as art, prayer, or journaling, these practices are rarely cultivated by schools as viable emotional resources.

A more insidious challenge lies in the suppression of emotions. Cultural stigma surrounding mental health continues to frame vulnerability as weakness, leaving many adolescents fearful of speaking up. Campaigns like #Let’sTalkMinda have made some headway, but a significant gap remains. Students internalise distress, sometimes until it erupts into depression, substance use, or self-harm. Though Malaysia recently took the positive step of decriminalising suicide attempts, many cases of adolescent suicidality remain underreported due to lingering taboos and patchy institutional response.

Despite these urgent needs, the current infrastructure for mental health support in Malaysian schools remains both uneven and under-resourced. While public schools are supposed to have designated counsellors, a single professional may be responsible for 500 to 800 students—far above UNESCO’s recommended ratio of 1 to 250. In rural and Orang Asli communities, some schools lack even a single trained counsellor. At the curriculum level, mental health education is not systematically embedded. Although programmes such as the Program Kesihatan Mental Sekolah and pilot frameworks like Sekolahku Sejahtera exist, implementation is inconsistent and often superficial. Most teachers have received little to no formal training in recognising mental health red flags, let alone responding to them in trauma-informed ways. As a result, many early signs of distress are either misinterpreted or missed altogether.

Parental awareness presents another gap. In communities where mental illness is still viewed through moral or disciplinary lenses, children who display signs of emotional difficulty may be labelled as misbehaving rather than struggling. This misreading of behaviour perpetuates cycles of misunderstanding and isolation. Students, particularly those with no adult they trust, are left to cope alone.

In the absence of reliable support systems, students often develop their own coping strategies: some constructive, many harmful. Among younger children, stress may present through disruptive behaviour, somatic symptoms like stomach aches, or frequent crying. These manifestations are too often dealt with punitively, instead of being recognised as cries for help. Teenagers, on the other hand, may retreat into avoidant behaviours such as school avoidance, chronic absenteeism, or digital immersion. Some students gravitate toward creative or spiritual outlets, but such practices are rarely recognised or encouraged by formal institutions. Disturbingly, others resort to self-harm or risky behaviour as their only form of emotional release.

To address these layered challenges, Malaysia urgently needs a holistic and systemic school-based mental health strategy. First, social-emotional learning (SEL) must be meaningfully integrated into the national curriculum. Evidence from countries such as Singapore and Finland demonstrates that SEL enhances both academic achievement and emotional resilience. Malaysia’s own frameworks, like Sekolahku Sejahtera, provide promising entry points for expansion. Second, educators must be trained in mental health literacy. Teachers are often first-line observers of student distress, and without proper training, early intervention becomes impossible. Ongoing professional development in counselling basics, trauma sensitivity, and student referral pathways must become standard practice, not the exception.

Third, counselling capacity must be strengthened. The current student-to-counsellor ratio is unsustainable and undermines the possibility of meaningful one-on-one support. Strategic recruitment, improved funding, and partnerships with NGOs or private-sector professionals can help close the gap. Fourth, parental and community engagement must be prioritised. Schools should offer awareness workshops and collaborate with community leaders, religious groups, and healthcare providers to foster environments where mental health is taken seriously. Lastly, safe spaces within schools must be created for students to express themselves without fear of judgement. Peer-led support groups, wellness clubs, and anonymous feedback channels can empower students to speak out and seek help before crises escalate.

The mental health crisis among students in Malaysia is not new, but the pandemic has laid bare its severity. Without meaningful reform, we risk alienating a generation already on the brink of emotional exhaustion. The encouraging news is that viable solutions exist. What is required now is the political will, institutional collaboration, and cultural empathy to implement them. When students are mentally well, they learn and live better. And that, ultimately, is the goal of any education system that seeks to nurture not just minds, but whole human beings.