About 80 Malaysians a day turn to HEAL 15555 mental health hotline for help, says Dzulkefly

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 — Malaysians are making around 80 calls a day to the mental health helpline HEAL 15555, as mounting life pressures and greater awareness drive more people to seek emotional and psychological support.

According to Utusan Malaysia, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the helpline has recorded 163,709 calls since it began operating on October 21, 2022 until the end of last year, a figure that reflects both rising mental health needs and increasing public confidence in reaching out for help.

Of the total number of calls received, 125,417 cases, or 77 per cent, involved emotional support, while 38,292 cases, or 23 per cent, required specialised intervention by counselling psychologists.

He said the trend showed that more Malaysians were prepared to come forward for assistance, signalling that long-running efforts to reduce stigma around mental health issues were beginning to show results.

“What we are seeing is that more people are willing to seek help. Efforts to obtain mental health support are on the rise, leading to more people contacting the HEAL 15555 helpline,” he said after the 2026 New Year Gathering and Address at the Health Ministry in Putrajaya today.

Dzulkefly said the helpline had also played a critical role in suicide prevention. 

A total of 294 cases involving suicidal ideation received psychological intervention, while 157 suicide attempt cases were urgently referred through the activation of MERS999, following close collaboration with the Royal Malaysia Police and emergency departments.

“All individuals involved were successfully rescued and brought to hospital for further treatment,” he said.

He added that call volumes have shown a sharp upward trend each year. In 2023, the helpline received 27,738 calls, which rose to 42,990 calls in 2024, before almost doubling to 90,981 calls in 2025.

According to Dzulkefly, the steady increase cannot be attributed to a single factor, but is influenced by a combination of present-day pressures and growing public awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing.

“It is difficult to determine specific causes, but current life stresses and increased awareness of the need to seek help are among the contributors to this rise,” he said.

*If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people. Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); and Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am).

Contact Befrienders KL at 03-7627 2929, or 04-2910 100 in Penang, or 05-2380 485 in Ipoh, or 088-335 793 in Kota Kinabalu. 

The national mental health helpline HEAL can be reached at 15555.

Those suffering from problems can reach out to: Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or WhatsApp 019-261 5999); Jakim’s Family, Social and Community care centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929 or visit www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia for a full list of numbers and operating hours).