BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Some 47 Bruneian students studying abroad from 2013 to 2017 have been diagnosed to have mental health issues, local daily the Borneo Bulletin reported on Tuesday.

According to statistics disclosed by Haji Hamzah, the country's Minister of Education, among the 47, 17 male students and 25 female students studied in Britain; four male students in Australia; while one female student in the United States.

The causes of the mental problem include academic factors and issues relating to family, environment, student personality, time management, spirituality, health and accommodation.

The majority of students suffering from mental health problems are students under Ministry of Education's scholarship programs. Although the mental health cases represent less than 0.5 percent of total number of Brunei students abroad, "we can't take this matter lightly and immediate action needs to be taken to avoid any undesirable consequences," the minister said.