The percentage of students showing early signs of depression and anxiety has steadily declined over the past three years, according to the Saringan Minda Sihat (Healthy Mind Screening) conducted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Education (MOE) from the 2022/2023 to 2024/2025 school sessions.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said that among primary school students, the percentage at risk of early depressive symptoms dropped from 36.42% in 2022/2023 to 35.50% in 2023/2024, before significantly falling to 6.18% in 2024/2025 and 5.39% as of September 2025. Meanwhile, early signs of anxiety among primary students also declined from 6.52% in 2022/2023 to 5.75% this year.
For secondary schools, the rate of students showing severe early signs of depression decreased from 2.21% in 2022/2023 to 0.8% as of September 2025. Similarly, cases of severe early anxiety symptoms fell from 4.83% to 2.01% during the same period.
“This decline proves the effectiveness of early detection, psychosocial support programs, and targeted interventions implemented in schools. It reflects our ongoing preventive approach to safeguard students’ well-being,” Fadhlina said in a written reply in Parliament.
She was responding to a question from Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan, who sought data on student mental health issues over the past five years, referencing the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey which found that 7.9% (about 424,000) of students were affected.
The Saringan Minda Sihat program—jointly conducted by the MOE and Ministry of Health (MOH)—is carried out annually for all students from Year 5 to Form 6 to identify those at risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
To further strengthen support, MOE is also implementing the Program Minda Sihat Sekolah, which promotes mental wellness, enhances socio-emotional well-being, and provides interventions for at-risk students through screenings, parental consultations, and collaboration with public and private agencies.
Fadhlina reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to prioritizing student mental health through continuous awareness, counseling, and intervention efforts to ensure a supportive and healthy learning environment.
