The National Health and Morbidity Survey statistics show that by 2020, mental illness is expected to be the second-largest health problem affecting the nation after heart disease. According to the population-based census, every 3 out of 10 Malaysians aged 16 and over (or 29.2 percent) suffer from various mental health problems. But mental illness is still misunderstood in Malaysia. Some equate mental illnesses with insanity, while many fail to recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease. Common mental illnesses include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Compared to men, women are more prone to mental disorders due to various stressors. One of the recognizable stressors is workplace stress and financial burdens. These mental disorders make women more vulnerable to depression and lead to suicide. Senior Lecturer, Center for Psychology and Human Well-being, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Dr. Mohd. Suhaimi Mohamad said mental health at work is something to be concerned about.

According to Psychiatric Consultants, University of Malaya Specialist Center, Associate Professor Dr Ng Chong Guan, many mental patients refuse to seek treatment out of shame and feel they are not sick. Most prefer saving problems, not wanting to share them with family or friends until the pressure is finally under control. Others act cruelly by injuring themselves.

If employers ignore the mental and emotional health problems that their employees are experiencing, their performance and productivity will likely be affected.

The mental state of an employee becomes worse when they are overburdened, dismissed or subjected to disciplinary action. Negative work environments will also result in a variety of physical and mental illnesses including behavioral problems that cause employees to be anxious and disruptive and their job performance declines. If the employer continues not to maintain a positive attitude and positive work environment, then the person is likely to experience mental illness such as anxiety, depression and burnout which then forces them to take a short walk by committing suicide. These will harm the organization and be a silent killer to the quality workforce.

 Employers need to take into account work pressure factors and psychosocial risks in promoting occupational safety and health strategies as they can reduce workers' mental illness. If the employer takes care of the employee's mental health, it becomes a long-term investment for the organization. This is because prosperous workers produce high quality work and reduce organizational costs in managing mental problems and employee misconduct. When a worker is happy to go to work, that means their work environment is healthy. If workers are lazy and often not interested in coming to work? It may be necessary for employers to review the internal issues that occur at work. Take a moment, and take action to save the quality of your work and all the team members!

Date of Input: 06/08/2019 | Updated: 06/08/2019 | faiz_suparman