MENTAL HEALTH: Healthier bottom line with healthier workers
The New Straits Times Online, 21 February 2014 - By Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, chairman, National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health, Kuala Lumpur
THERE is an increasing number of executives and employees who suffer from anxiety, depression and mental stress. Some take drugs to ease their stress.
The impact of this on society is immense and needs to be addressed. It is important to ensure the happiness of workers and their families through good mental health in workplaces.
To promote mental healthcare in workplaces, it is important to understand factors that affect mental health.
Employers should consider the nature of mental health problems, consideration of worker privacy, relationship with human resource management policies and problems relating to family or individual lifestyles.
Employers should use safety and health committees to examine and identify situations and problems relating to the promotion of mental healthcare in workplaces and to formulate a programme:
IDENTIFICATION of problems related to poor mental health;
SECURING the resources to develop a mental healthcare programme;
MEASURES to protect workers' privacy;
IMPROVING the work environment; and,
TAKING other steps for mental health promotion involving workers.
A healthy and educated workforce ensures improved productivity. As such, the promotion of mental health encompasses the government, employers, community and family units. More can be done for the mentally ill:
PROVIDING more benefits for the mentally ill, such as insurance coverage;
INCOME tax relief for parents or relatives who take care of the mentally ill;
BETTER healthcare services for the mentally ill in government hospitals and making available cheaper psychiatric drugs for them;
REMOVE discrimination against persons who have recovered from mental illness;
IDENTIFICATION of problems in workplaces related to poor mental health; and,
MAKING available an employee assistance programme that provides prevention and early intervention for employee problems related to mental health, stress and emotional issues.
Companies are finding that investing in employees' emotional wellbeing can mean a healthier bottom line.
