Selangor's push to embed mental health support across its schools is entering a critical phase, with a comprehensive evaluation report due next month that will shape how the government scales its innovative peer-led programme to reach students across the entire state. The findings from the PeerZ pilot initiative, which has been tested in two secondary schools in Petaling Jaya over recent months, will form the roadmap for implementing mental health awareness modules in schools beyond the current trial sites, according to Selangor Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
The Malaysian Counselling Association (PERKAMA) has been tasked with preparing the evaluation, which will measure how effectively the pilot module has achieved its core objectives while identifying specific areas where the curriculum and training protocols need refinement. This methodical approach reflects a broader recognition among Malaysian state governments that mental health support for young people cannot be rolled out haphazardly; it must be grounded in evidence gathered from actual school environments and student responses. By waiting for concrete data before expanding further, Selangor is attempting to avoid the common pitfall of scaling programmes that work in controlled settings but falter when distributed across diverse school contexts with varying resources and student populations.
The PeerZ initiative sits within Selangor's larger mental health framework known as SEHAT, which represents an acknowledgment that the state's schools need systematic structures for identifying and supporting adolescents experiencing psychological distress. The pilot deployed the programme at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 3 and SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 4 in Petaling Jaya, engaging 47 students who were selected and trained as Peer Support (PRS) advocates. These young leaders received intensive preparation through two distinct but complementary modules: a Mental Health Awareness (MHA) component designed to deepen their understanding of psychological conditions affecting their peers, and a Helping Skills module that equipped them with practical techniques for providing initial emotional support and recognising when professional intervention is necessary.
The conceptual foundation of the PeerZ model rests on a well-established principle in mental health promotion: young people often confide in their peers before, or instead of, speaking to adults. By identifying and training student peer supporters within each school, Selangor is attempting to create an additional layer of detection and intervention that complements the work of school counsellors and teachers. The two modules were designed to ensure these peer supporters possessed both the knowledge base and the interpersonal competencies necessary to respond appropriately to common mental health challenges that adolescents face, from exam anxiety to depression and social isolation.
Beyond the training of peer supporters themselves, the pilot programme involved a broader ecosystem of school stakeholders committed to fostering a mental health-conscious environment. School counsellors worked alongside the student peer supporters, providing supervision and backup. Teachers designated as PRS advisers helped integrate peer support activities into the school routine. School administrators lent institutional backing to the initiative by allocating time and resources. Strategic partnerships with universities and professional bodies brought additional expertise and credibility to the programme's implementation. This multi-layered approach reflects an understanding that sustainable mental health promotion in schools requires buy-in and coordination across multiple roles and departments.
One visible milestone in the pilot's timeline was a Youth Mental Health Awareness Carnival held at both trial schools. Rather than confining mental health education to formal classroom settings, this carnival brought together the wider school community—parents, teachers, students, and external health professionals—to engage with mental health topics in a less stigmatised, more accessible format. The carnival served a dual purpose: it raised awareness and shifted community attitudes toward mental health issues, while also providing a platform to highlight the role that peer supporters can play in creating a supportive school culture. For adolescents, attending such an event alongside peers and parents can help normalise discussions about psychological wellbeing.
The evaluation methodology employed by PERKAMA centres on measurable indicators of programme success. Pre- and post-module assessments are being used to gauge changes in participants' knowledge about mental health conditions, their awareness of risk factors and warning signs, and their attitudes toward peers experiencing mental health challenges. This before-and-after measurement approach allows researchers to attribute observed changes in student understanding directly to the PeerZ training rather than attributing them to other concurrent influences. However, the evaluation almost certainly extends beyond written tests; PERKAMA will also be gathering qualitative feedback from students, teachers, counsellors, and school administrators about their experiences with the programme, the barriers they encountered, and suggestions for improvement.
For Malaysian schools and education policymakers, the significance of Selangor's approach lies in its potential to demonstrate whether peer support models can be effectively transplanted into Malaysian school contexts. Mental health disorders among Malaysian adolescents—including anxiety, depression, and self-harm behaviours—have been documented in multiple studies, yet many schools lack the specialised counselling staff to address this need comprehensively. If the PeerZ evaluation shows positive outcomes, a statewide rollout could represent a cost-effective, scalable strategy for expanding mental health support. The peer support model also has the advantage of promoting resilience and leadership skills among participating students while reducing the burden on school counsellors.
The timeline for the September report is deliberate. The staggered approach gives PERKAMA sufficient time to collect and analyse data, conduct focus group discussions, and consult with stakeholders about what refinements should be incorporated before wider implementation. Rather than rushing to scale up and then correcting course reactively, Selangor is opting for a more measured expansion that builds on lessons learned from the pilot phase. The enhancements expected to emerge from this evaluation process will likely address issues such as the optimal number of students to train as peer supporters, the frequency and format of their training refreshers, and how to ensure peer supporters themselves receive adequate support and don't experience burnout or secondary trauma from hearing about their peers' struggles.
The involvement of Ong Chun Wei, the Balakong assemblyman who posed the question in the state legislative assembly, underscores that mental health in schools has become a topic of political attention and public interest in Selangor. Questions raised about government achievements in this area suggest constituents and elected representatives view youth mental health as a measurable policy outcome. This political engagement, while sometimes subject to electoral cycles, can serve to reinforce institutional commitment to mental health initiatives and ensure they receive adequate budget allocation.
Looking ahead, the successful completion of the PeerZ evaluation and subsequent statewide expansion could influence how other Malaysian states approach adolescent mental health. Should Selangor demonstrate that peer support programmes can improve mental health awareness and early intervention in schools, neighbouring states or the federal government may adopt similar models. However, the transferability of such programmes depends heavily on contextual factors including school infrastructure, the availability of trained PERKAMA-certified facilitators, and the receptiveness of school administrators and teachers to the peer support model. The coming months, as the evaluation progresses and Selangor's government prepares for broader implementation, will be crucial in determining whether this initiative becomes a national best practice or remains a promising but limited experiment.
