By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: Perceived child-parent conflict was not a direct factor in the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, the Coroner's Court heard today.
Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Chua Sze Hung testified that while such conflict is one of many predisposing or indirect factors, it was not the direct cause.
"The direct factor here, in my opinion, is the stressful interrogation and isolation that morning or night," said the 67th witness on the 71st day of the inquest into Zara's death.
The teenager was found unconscious on the ground floor of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha on July 16 after she was called and questioned by a group of students. She died the following day.
Coordinating officer Dacia Jane Romanus had examined whether any particular factor contributed to Dr Chua's conclusion in his autopsy report that the death was consistent with suicide.
Dr Chua said child-parent conflict is often misunderstood as something that happens round-the-clock, when it can instead be episodic.
"Psychology is deeply personal and contextual. It is how the deceased perceived or processed those episodes.
"As someone sensitive to rejection and emotionally dysregulated, she would have perceived certain experiences more negatively and felt the psychological pain more intensely," he said.
The witness also testified that the deceased was dependent on her mother for basic survival, connection, and affection.
He added that in unfavourable situations, an adolescent quickly learns that the expression of negative emotions such as anger and hatred can worsen conflict and disapproval.
"To survive, an adolescent may suppress their internal emotions and psychological distress and present an outwardly pleasant and compliant facade to reduce conflict and disapproval. This is known as false self-presentation or behaviour.
"In an attachment context, loyalty to a parent is a strong emotional bond. An adolescent may be deeply torn between her fundamental need for belonging and her psychological pain, as she relies on her mother for basic survival needs, connection, and affection."
Additionally, in the context of a defence mechanism, which is an unconscious psychological strategy to protect one's mind, Dr Chua said reaction formation may be employed.
"It is a defence mechanism where unwanted negative or threatening impulses or thoughts are converted into exactly opposite behaviours, such as loving and being cheerful," he said.
When Romanus asked whether a barcode constitutes a form of self-injury, Dr Chua replied that it is a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy.
During earlier proceedings, a medical doctor explained that "barcode injuries" can be caused by sharp objects, with the pattern resembling a barcode.
"It is used to regulate psychological distress. A person without psychological distress is unlikely to resort to barcodes," he said.
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