Dealing with mental health
The Star Online, 3 March 2014
WITH every passing day, there are more Malaysians who are likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and mental stress in relation to their jobs.
Many have even been described as walking “time bombs” on our roads, at workplaces, schools and homes.
In the National Health and Morbidity Survey carried out in 2011, it was found that 12% of our adult population suffer some form of mental illness such as anxiety, stress, psychosis and schizophrenia.
The recent tragedy in Taman Sri Putra, Sungai Buloh where an Indonesian maid slit the throats of two children under her care before taking her own life is surely another case of mental disorder.
There are also cases of police personnel detected to have mental health problems.
In a recent survey, teachers were found to have the highest risk of suffering from psychiatric and mental disorders arising from burnout and stress.
The impact of mental health problems on the patients, their families and society as a whole, is immense and needs to be addressed.
It is important to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of workers and their families through initiatives to promote good mental health at the workplace.
The Government should expedite the introduction of guidelines for mental healthcare promotion at workplaces.
Employers should consider the specific nature of mental health problems, individual worker privacy, relationship with human resource management policies and problems emanating from family or individual lifestyles.
Employers should utilise the Safety and Health Committees to formulate a fundamental programme based on the following:
> Identifying problems at workplaces related to poor mental health;
> Securing resources to develop mental healthcare programmes;
> Introduce measures to protect worker privacy;
> Improving the working environment; and
> Taking necessary measures for mental health promotion involving workers.
Mental health issues at the workplace should be given due attention as the productivity of the staff of any organisation depends on their mental health.
More can be done for the mentally ill not only in terms of treatment, counselling and care but also support for their next-of-kin. There should be more benefits for the mentally ill such as insurance coverage which is now denied to them.
Income tax relief should be given to parents or relatives who have to take care of the mentally ill.
There should be better healthcare services for the mentally ill in Government hospitals as well as making available cheaper psychiatric drugs for them.
It is also vital to remove all forms of discrimination against persons who have recovered from mental illness so that they can be successfully reintegrated into society just as we want to see rehabilitated drug dependents get back into society.
There should be greater effort to identify problems at workplaces related to poor mental health with a view towards developing a mental healthcare programme for the workforce.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) should be introduced to provide prevention and early intervention for employees facing mental health, stress and emotional issues which affect their job performance.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Mental Health Promotion
Advisory Council Member
