There are estimated 264 million people suffering from
depression, globally, according to World Health Organization (WHO). And this could
cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year in lost productivity.
A new Lancet Commission report on mental health said that
mental disorders are on the rise in every country and will cost the global
economy $16 trillion by 2030. The economic cost is primarily due to early onset
of mental illness and lost productivity, with an estimated 12 billion working
days lost due to mental illness every year.
What about its impact in Malaysia? RM14.46 billion. That’s
the estimation of business cost due to mental health disorders among employees
in 2018 (Relate Mental Health Malaysia). This is equivalent to about 1% of the
country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in that year, and the actual cost may be
more.
Titled
“Workplace mental health – The business cost”, the study estimated the Rm14.46
billion loss in productivity and extra costs incurred by businesses are based
on three main factors: staff turnover, absence and presence (working while
unwell). According to the study, 68% (close to RM10bil) of the loss was the
result of workers turning up to work while feeling unwell. The economy lost a
further RM3.28bil due to absence, while the balance of RM1.34bil was because of
staff turnover.
Dr
Chua, occupational health services manager from Qualitas Medical Group pointed
out that employees in Asian countries were likely to show physical symptoms
such as fatigue and muscle aches, rather than concede that they were either
depressed or anxious. Employee with a lot of physical pain could be a warning
sign. They may start to zone out, miss deadlines and become more forgetful.
Source:
Relate Malaysia
In
order to address mental health issues, we must first understand the risk
factors. According to WHO, there are many risk factors for mental health that
may be present in the working environment:
• inadequate health and safety
policies;
• poor communication and management
practices;
• limited participation in
decision-making or low control over one’s area of work;
• low levels of support for employees;
• inflexible working hours; and
• unclear tasks or organizational
objectives.
Risks
may also come together with job content: when a task is allocated above a
person’s competency, or a high and unrelenting workload result in stress. Some
jobs may carry a higher personal risk than others, for instance, first
responders and humanitarian workers.
Cases
that are referred to hospitals are already considered severe. Therefore, instead
of waiting for the Government to come out with guidelines or policies,
businesses should raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace for
early detection. Make available an
employee assistance programme (EAP) that can provide both prevention and early
intervention for workers’ problems related to mental health, stress and
emotional issues which affect job performance. Flexible hours, job-redesign, and
confidential communication with management can help people with mental
disorders continue to or return to work. Provide support such as insurance
coverage or regular mental check-ups or have an in-house counsellor or
psychologist. Finally, remove all forms of discrimination against persons who are
suffering from mental illness.
Reference:
1.
‘Mental health hurts economy badly’, 18 Feb 2020, The Star
2.
Mental Illness Will Cost the World $16 USD Trillion by 2030, 16 Nov 2018, Psychiatric Times
3.
World Health Organization (2019), Mental health in the workplace
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