A parliamentary committee recommends boosting the National Centre of Excellence in Mental Health to address rising digital addiction and anxiety among children
KUALA LUMPUR: A parliamentary committee has stressed that managing children’s mental health requires dedicated professional services and cannot be an added burden for teachers.
Special Select Committee on Women, Children, and Community Development chairman Yeo Bee Yin said one key recommendation is to empower the National Centre of Excellence in Mental Health.
“The committee has recommended that the government empower NCEMH by increasing the number of medical specialists and psychologists and boosting its funding to address mental health issues among children,” she told the Dewan Rakyat.
She said a strengthened NCEMH should collaborate with the Ministry of Education to conduct regular mental health screenings in schools.
It would also train school staff to identify issues like digital addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder for early referral to health institutions.
The committee also recommended the ministry review educational materials that over-emphasise social conformity.
“Research has shown that cultural norms that stress social conformity and avoiding conflict can contribute to increased social anxiety,” Yeo added.
Other proposals include amending statutory rape laws for equal accountability and expanding efforts to control child sexual abuse materials.
The committee further urged the National Population and Family Development Board to intensify parenting education programmes.
This aims to improve parenting literacy and strengthen family relationships to support children’s emotional well-being.
The committee presented its findings on digital safety and children’s mental health following stakeholder engagements.
Yeo highlighted that 55.7% of children use the internet for one to four hours daily, with 60.7% owning their own devices.
A study of 5,290 teenagers found 3.5% were diagnosed with Internet Gaming Disorder, affecting an estimated 315,000 children nationally.
Among those with the disorder, 48.1% experience severe anxiety, 37.4% suffer from serious depression, and 18.2% endure significant stress.
Yeo also noted that nearly half of all sexual crime cases involving children were linked to early exposure to pornography and explicit digital content.
Furthermore, 30% of child sexual abuse cases at certain rehabilitation centres were due to a lack of control over gadget use. – Bernama
