In Malaysia, one in four rehab patients now battling addiction and mental illness

KEPALA BATAS, June 27 — More than one in four drug abusers undergoing rehabilitation in Malaysia this year have also been diagnosed with mental health disorders, as the rise of synthetic drugs reshapes the country's addiction crisis.

National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said 1,346 people, or 27 per cent of the 5,030 substance abusers undergoing treatment at Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centres between January and March this year were found to have what is known as a dual diagnosis, the New Straits Times reported today.

He said the figure marks a sharp increase from the same period last year, when 548 people, or 6 per cent of 9,361 individuals undergoing rehabilitation, were diagnosed with both substance addiction and psychiatric disorders.

Ruslin said the trend showed drug rehabilitation was no longer just about treating addiction, as an increasing number of patients were also struggling with mental illness.

“This is no longer just about drug addiction. We are now dealing with addicts who are also suffering from mental health disorders, and this has become a major challenge because our core business has traditionally focused on treating substance dependence,” he was quoted telling reporters after the National Anti-Drug Day 2026 celebration here.

He said most of the psychiatric conditions were linked to synthetic drugs, particularly amphetamine-type stimulants such as syabu, yaba pills and ecstasy.

According to AADK, synthetic drugs now account for more than 73 per cent of all drug abuse cases in Malaysia.

The users and the mental toll

Ruslin said youths aged between 15 and 39 make up 84 per cent of synthetic drug users, with the agency continuing to see the figure climb.

He said the highest rates of synthetic drug abuse were recorded in the east coast states, where syabu and yaba pills remain the drugs of choice, although abuse is also widespread in the west coast.

Ruslin said peer influence, easy access to drugs, their rapid intoxicating effects, and personal or family problems were among the main reasons young people turned to synthetic drugs.

He warned that some patients with dual diagnosis suffered depression, emotional instability and hallucinations, with some becoming prone to self-harm or suicide attempts.

“Some experience hallucinations severe enough to drive them towards self-harm or suicidal behaviour. This is why these cases require more specialised intervention than conventional addiction treatment,” he said.

Ruslin said the emergence of synthetic drugs, including those mixed into vape liquids, had fundamentally changed the nature of addiction in Malaysia.

He said AADK was strengthening its rehabilitation modules and working closely with the Health Ministry to provide more integrated treatment for patients with addiction and mental health disorders.

“The challenge today is very different from the past. We must continuously improve our treatment approaches because synthetic drugs have changed both the profile of addicts and the complexity of their recovery,” he was quoted as saying.