PETALING JAYA: Malaysia may not meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of one psychiatrist for every 10,000 people but experts say the shortfall should not be seen as the main barrier to improving mental health care.
Malaysian Psychiatric Association president Dr Mohd Fadzli Mohamad Isa said Malaysia is not lagging too far behind its regional peers in terms of psychiatrist-to-population ratio.
“Malaysia is actually on par with Brunei, which has about 1.2 psychiatrists per 100,000 people. Of course, we are behind Singapore, which has about four psychiatrists per 100,000, but that is not really a fair comparison.
“We are definitely doing better when compared with countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, and even the Philippines which is way, way behind us.”
He added that psychiatrists are often seen as the “gatekeepers” of mental health but the role of other professionals such as counsellors, psychologists and family doctors should not be overlooked.
While acknowledging the shortage of psychiatrists compared with the WHO benchmark, Mohd Fadzli said mental health care is not solely dependent on specialists.
“Psychiatrists can focus on severe and complex cases while those with milder conditions may be managed by family medicine specialists and general practitioners at primary care level. Still, Malaysia must gradually increase its number of psychiatrists in view of rising clinical complexities.”
However, producing more psychiatrists is not as simple as increasing intake as quality must also be ensured.
Currently, psychiatrists in Malaysia are trained either through a Master’s programme at six public universities or via the MRCPsych (UK) parallel pathway under the Health Ministry. But with only 40 to 80 graduates annually, supply remains far below demand.
“Training capacity is limited by the availability of supervisors and centres. Our goal is to produce psychiatrists who are not only clinically competent but also capable in administrative and educational roles.”
Mohd Fadzli said mental health funding is spread across prevention, treatment and rehabilitation but allocations should be more specific to meet the needs of each sector.
“Early intervention, particularly for first-episode psychosis, is crucial to prevent illnesses from worsening. More funds should be channelled into medication, psychotherapy and physical treatment to address the varying severity, complexity and complications of mental illness.
“Each patient’s treatment must be personalised and holistic to ensure better long-term outcomes.”
He said rehabilitation must also be treated as a sustainable long-term effort, particularly for patients who develop complications.
Currently, 70 government hospitals provide psychiatric services but Dr Mohd Fadzli said more needs to be done to ensure that these facilities offer more than just basic or “skeletal” care.
He said hospitals in major towns should have access to sub-specialties while rural areas need stronger coverage through nearby health clinics and referral systems to prevent cases from worsening.
“More training for family medicine specialists and general practitioners is also crucial to strengthen care at the primary level.
“Upgrades to psychiatric wards and standalone clinics, expansion of Mentari centres, investment in modern therapies and AI, as well as training more allied professionals are crucial to ensure accessible, holistic and effective mental health services.
“More posts should be created for psychiatrists and medical officers while the private sector should also step in by opening in-patient facilities and psychiatric nursing homes to complement government services.”
He also cautioned the public against seeking help from unqualified individuals posing as mental health practitioners.
Early intervention, particularly for first-episode psychosis, is crucial to prevent illnesses from worsening, said Mohd Fadzli. – Amirul Syafiq/theSun