Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2020 July 2020 | Page 29

SPONSORED FEATURE
The psychological effect of
the pandemic in Malaysia
Dr Loheswary Arumugam offers some advice on how the country can cope
Extended stay-at-home measures due to COVID-19
are affecting peoples’ mental health. What is the
current situation in Malaysia and how is it affecting
psychological well-being?
A partial or conditional lockdown in Malaysia
continues, with interstate travel still banned. I can see
that there’s been an increase in psychological disorder
cases as a result. For instance, I’ve been seeing and
hearing clients report symptoms of very high anxiety
and depression during the movement control order
(MCO). Some have also presented themselves with
panic attack symptoms, sleeping problems, and also
relationship issues.
What policies and services that should be rolled out
to face these issues?
To make available more psychological services, the
government should work more closely with mental
health professionals and offer subsidies so that
people can also go to private hospitals for treatment.
Insurance companies should introduce new policies
to cover mental health assessments and treatments to
deal with the rise in mental health-related problems.
What are the services available at KPJ for people
suffering from psychological issues? Have you
introduced any new services for people with
psychological problems, like online consultation?
To deal with the current situation, we at KPJ Sentosa
have introduced online counseling sessions at an
affordable price -- RM 80 per hour for the public and RM
10 for frontline medical staff. We also have online parent
support groups for children with special needs, autism
spectrum disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity
disorders (ADHD). We also have online assessments and
consultation sessions for all age groups.
Can you talk about the psychological impact of the
pandemic on healthcare professionals? What are the
most common problems and how do you address
them?
The most common symptoms are sleeping problems,
anxiety, burnout, and depression. It’s important that
frontline workers practice self-care, understand the
signs, and take breaks when they’re tired. It’s also
important for them to check in with their loved ones
via video calls or chats. Having good leaders and
constant briefings and debriefing sessions is also key.
They should also have access to in-house counselling
sessions and support.
Do you have any advice for people who are
struggling with isolation, loneliness and financial
problems?
This is a very tough time for many people around
the world as many have lost their jobs, had pay cuts,
and may be in lockdown away from their families. It’s
important, therefore, to stay connected with family
via social media and online chats and video calls and
to also seek help or resources to sustain themselves
financially during this situation. They can also use
available services, for instance, online counselling
sessions to manage their mental health.
What are the at-risk groups in Malaysia we should
reach out to in order to prevent serious psychological
problems?
The elderly, children, women with a history of being
victims of domestic violence, and special needs
children and adult groups. We also have to reach out
to those groups prone to abuse (sexual, physical,
emotional) as the home may not be safe for them.
Neighbours should play an important role in reporting
if they suspect a risk of abuse or any sign of active
abuse.
Some people may also benefit from the restrictions
by taking a break from busy and stressful routines.
What are the lessons we should learn from the
difficult experience of the pandemic and Movement
Control Order?
There are basically four lessons we should learn:
be prepared at all times; understand the signs
and symptoms of mental health problems and the
importance of maintaining good mental health;
strengthen family bonding and support; and practice
good hygiene.
Ms Loheswary
Arumugam is a
registered consultant
clinical psychologist
with Malaysian
Society of Clinical
Psychology Malaysia
since 2015. She is
a IBCCES Board
Certified Cognitive
Specialist, USA
and completed
her Specialty
training with
nearly 2000 hours.
She specialize in
neurodevelopmental
disorder ( Autism,
ADHD), Learning
disability dyscalculia,
dyslexia)Mood
disorders, Anxiety
Disorders, Trauma,
conducting
Psychological
and Neurological
assessment for all
age.
GlobalHealthAndTravel.com
JULY 2020
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