Disordered Eating, Body Image & Community Mental Health in Malaysia

About the April 7 Forum, Co-Sponsored with HSPH STRIPED

A recent population based online study in Malaysia estimated about half of the population engage in disordered eating. However, mental health resources are low with only 1 psychiatrist and 1 clinical psychologist per 100,000 population, and help-seeking is low due to the stigma associated with mental illness. Dr. Chua, founder of Relate Malaysia, a nonprofit mental health organization, will discuss recent research findings, the challenges Relate Malaysia faces, and new directions for community mental health in Malaysia.


Watch the Forum


Speaker bio

Dr. Sook Ning Chua is the founder of Relate Malaysia – a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the provision of mental health services, education, training and advocacy since 2015. As a clinical psychologist, international researcher and educator, Sook has an extensive body of research publications and has shared her expertise across a wide range of subjects at conferences worldwide, from Singapore to the Netherlands and Canada. Her research interests include motivation, self-regulation, and mental health interventions. Sook is collaborating with STRIPED on a number of research projects, including estimating prevalence rates of eating disorders in Singapore and Malaysia, and disordered weight control behaviors, cosmetic surgery and use of skin lightening products in Asia. As an eating disorders specialist and renowned mental health advocate, Sook has been a sought-after speaker over the past 10 years, appearing on radio and in print media, as well as delivering three TEDx Talks since 2017. A clinician who practices in Singapore and Malaysia, Sook is recognized as a driven and determined thought leader in psychology throughout Southeast Asia, motivated by a desire to raise the standard of mental health on an individual, organizational, and societal level.