The Health Ministry recently revealed that one in 20 children in Malaysia aged between five to nine, are estimated to have mental disorders including developmental disorders, and one in eight adolescents, aged 10 to 19, have mental disorders. What are the underlying causes leading to the high prevalence of mental health issues among children & adolescents? And what is needed for a framework in Malaysia to provide this unmet need for their mental health and psycho-social support? Melisa Idris speaks to child & adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Aili Hanim Hashim, President of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Association Malaysia (Mycaps).