SHAH ALAM, July 7 — Approximately 1,020 out of 36,428 secondary school students in Selangor have shown early signs of being at high risk for depression, the Selangor State Legislative Assembly was told today.
State executive councillor for public health and the environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the students were identified through the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), making up 2.8 per cent of those screened.
The findings, based on the Minda Sihat (Healthy Mind) Mental Health Screening Analysis for the 2024/2025 school session, indicated that overall psychosocial behaviour among students remains under control.
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State executive councillor for public health and the environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin speaks during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly session at the State Secretariat Building in Shah Alam on July 7, 2025. — Picture by HARUN TAJUDIN/MEDIA SELANGOR [/caption]
“To address mental health concerns, intervention programmes have been implemented and expanded to primary schools, especially for Year Five and Year Six students. The goal is to raise early awareness about mental health and build emotional resilience,” she said.
The interventions focus on emotional and behavioural development, early prevention activities, and capacity-building for school guidance and counselling teachers.
These include workshops on mental health strategies like relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, physical activities, as well as shoulder and neck massages.
Jamaliah was responding to a question from Port Klang state assemblyman Azmizam Zaman Huri, who had asked what immediate measures were being taken by the Selangor Education Department (JPN) to address depression and anxiety among students in the 2024/2025 session.
She added that, in addition to general interventions, the Selangor JPN is also running the Healthy Mind programme along with specialised modules. These cover counselling sessions, emotional awareness, coping skills, 10B stress management, breathing techniques, mindfulness, anger management, problem-solving, positive thinking, and effective communication.
“These initiatives serve as early preventive measures and aim to strengthen students’ mental well-being from the primary level,” Jamaliah said.
— Bernama
