Mental illness is a real illness that needs real treatment. However,\u00a0 such a type of illness is often devalued to the extent of jeopardising the rights and wellbeing of patients. It is even worse that seeking mental health treatment is often seen as a sign of individual weakness. In addition, the cost of treatment most often is not coverable for reimbursement. The situation is actually risking the mental health service system\u00a0 as the most feared type to the society. Indeed, such a polemic needs to be urgently justified, so that society deserve the right and services they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The need to get adequate treatment for mental health problems and illnesses is as equally important as the need to get physically treated for other physical diseases and illnesses because the consequences are equally and similarly tremendous and many times lead to chronic and long-term suffering or even death. Ignoring mental health problem needs for treatment may complicate the treatment outcomes and may even lead to death if wrongly indicated or left untreated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mental health problems and illnesses are often times considered as invisible illnesses. However, in actuality, they often carry a very heavy burden in terms of cost to the individual, family, and friends\u00a0 as well as to the organisation. Considering the heavy burden and cost\u00a0 incurred on the illness, yet, most people do not recognise that mental health problems and illnesses are genuine and important in maintaining good healthcare and wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey of Ministry of Health 2019 revealed that every 1 in 3 Malaysians suffered from mental health conditions that increased the risk of having subsequent mental illnesses that finally\u00a0 led to the development of other types of physical ill health conditions. Yet, as reported by the survey, only 20% of people with existing mental health conditions voluntarily came forward to seek mental health treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As understood,\u00a0 mental illness may adversely affect not only individuals, but also the family\u2019s functioning and relationship, and even to the company and organisation they work for. Considering mental health aspect from the organisation perspective, it is understood that 29% of employees from each organisation will experience poor mental wellbeing as a result of workplace psychosocial hazards that result in stress, anxiety and depression. Such a situation will eventually trigger companies to think about the costs, be it financial or other type of workers compensation that would stem from worker\u2019s psychological or psychiatric injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Costs and workers compensations are among the most burdensome to the company\u2019s revenue and productivity. Cost is considered as any consumption being utilised to cover workers expenditures in relation to medically related mental illnesses, whereas compensation is understood as reimbursement the company would allocate and pay for the psychological injury that occured as a result of a company\u2019s hazardous working environment and structures. From the legal perspective, a worker can make a claim from their employer for the physical or psychological injury that happen to them during their employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on previous multiple surveys in the National Health and Morbidity Surveys conducted by the Ministry of Health\u00a0 from 2005 until 2019, the rate of mental illness is\u00a0 rising fast. The rate has tripled from 10.5% to 29% respectively. For employers,\u00a0 such a situation\u00a0 appears highly worrying as it affects\u00a0 the cost and financial aspects, as well as the productivity level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As reported in 2018, the mental health conditions of employees are of a big concern since they are estimated to cost the Malaysian economy RM14.46 billion alone. The estimates may comprise of the numbers of productivity loss per worker per organisation in the year due to mental health-related absenteeism or presenteeism, or worker\u2019s turnover, or even for the medically-related mental illness hospital bills and financial compensations. Let alone to consider the detrimental effects of emotional injury that this situation has on the social, communication and workplace relationship issues and teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Considering the high economic costs and adverse impacts mental illness burdens have on individual and organisational wellbeing, strategic and proactive approaches and interventions should be introduced and promoted at the organisational and national levels. Within the context of any organisation, the main objective to create conducive workplace environment is very much of a concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Respectful and cooperative working environment ranging from good teamwork, understanding and respect, are not only important for organisational stability and success, but also healthy to individuals and staff relationship and communication,\u00a0 as well as to their overall wellbeing in general. Establishing good environmental structure and process within the organisation will eventually promote and maintain competitive productivity level to the maximum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organisations may make full use of the existence of the Employer Assistance Programme or EAP in dealing with mental health issues. Organising\u00a0 stress management programmes and screening out anxiety and depression issues on a regular basis should be established. Organisations may also hire in-house mental health professionals in their settings to monitor the services within the organisation in order to maintain good mental practices\u00a0 are always observed. Establishing management standards regarding mental health policies in the workplace should be in existence in every organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since there \u00a0have been several number of mental illness incidences occuring in the workplace setting, they should be recorded and reported to the occupational safety and health division of the Ministry of Human Resource as required. Incidence of any mental health issues and psychosocial hazards in the workplace should be systematically analysed and national level workplace mental health morbidity survey should be done as well regulated under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Resource.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mental illness is a real illness that needs real treatment. However, such a type of illness is often devalued to the extent of jeopardising the rights and wellbeing of patients. It is even worse that seeking mental health treatment is often seen …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_analytify_skip_tracking":false,"_wpzoom_pinterest_image_url":"","_wpzoom_pinterest_hidden_image":"0","_wpzoom_pinterest_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-straits-times","category-139","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30304\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}