MENTAL health issues range from worries we all experience as part of everyday life to serious long-term conditions that may drive the affected individuals to commit suicide. In the workplace setting, mental health affects employee performance and may increase rates of illness, cause absenteeism, accidents, and increase staff turnover.
The World Health Organisation estimates one in four people are affected by mental disorders at some point in their lives. Depression alone accounts for 4.3% of the global burden of disease and is among the largest single cause of disability worldwide.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) conducted by the Health Ministry in 2015 revealed that the prevalence of mental health problems among those 16 years and above is 29.2%.
One in three Malaysians have mental health issues, with highest prevalence among those aged 16-19 years as well as those from low-income families.
The 2019 NHMS indicated that 424,000 children were found to have mental health problems in Malaysia with peer issues (42.9%), conduct issues (15.9%), emotional issues (8.3%), and hyperactivity (2.3%) contributing to mental health issues in Malaysia.
The issue of mental health at the workplace has become alarming and needs to be addressed urgently. The effect of poor management of mental health may trigger suicides among employees.
Based on records, Malaysia recorded a total of 1,142 suicides in 2021. Over the years, the number of suicides has gone up and workplaces need to respond to this phenomenon. If not, employers may lose productive employees, not just to suicide, but in terms of the emotions and productivity of the entire workforce.
Unfortunately, in Malaysia, an individual that attempts suicide can be jailed, fined, or both instead of being given mental health support and care.
Even though there are initiatives to decriminalise attempted suicide, it may take years before it becomes a reality.
There is therefore an urgent need for greater collaboration between the employees/trade unions, government, and employers to address mental health issues at the workplace.
In response to this phenomenon, MEF has assisted the Health Ministry in disseminating information on mental health in the past.
For the benefits of its members, MEF has held two workshops on behaviour and mental health in organisations, in collaboration with the socioeconomic burden of depression committee from Universiti Malaya.
The workshops’ objectives were to discuss staff depression, stress and anger, sleep-related hazards at the workplace, and dealing with absence from work and drug-related problems.
Unfortunately, mental health is least spoken of by the safety and health officers entrusted with managing safety and health issues at the workplace.
This becomes naturally entrenched because it is not part of their training and not covered in detail in the existing Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. Therefore, this has the domino effect of leaving the issue of mental health remaining undetected or managed improperly at the workplace.
This issue is also compounded by the stigma attached to mental health often equated with madness, as commonly understood by society and employees.
Due to poor understanding of mental health, it is often a taboo to talk about mental health and seek professional help.
Employers may also be totally unaware, due to the confidential nature of doctor-patient relationships, that an employee is suffering from mental illness and would not be in position to carry out any intervention to assist.
Employers should promote good mental health practices, provide tools for recognition and early identification, and establish links with local mental health services for referral, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Safety and health officers and committees should enhance their functions and role at the workplace by identifying work problems caused by ill mental health; taking action to improve the mental health of employees; helping employers modify work and work environment to reduce mental stress; and enabling employees with mental health to remain at work rather than withdraw.
In these challenging times, more should be done to identify mental health issues among employees.
Employers must train employees in their human resource and safety and health departments, safety and health committees, and medical health units to manage this.
MEF is of the view that protecting the precious life of employees is the duty of care of all employers in line with Sections 15 and 17 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
MEF believes that a healthy workforce is a highly productive workforce. – The Vibes, September 17, 2022
Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman is Malaysian Employers Federation president
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