Fear of stigma, damaged career prospects and possible dismissal are driving some workers with mental health conditions to hide their struggles and avoid treatment, a psychologist has warned. Employed people often conceal a diagnosis because they dread being shamed, or being seen by an employer as unable to carry out their duties, she told the NST.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 found that 4.6 per cent of people aged 16 and above experienced symptoms of depression, equal to about one million people. That is double the 2.3 per cent recorded in 2019. The survey does not cover every mental health condition and does not single out workers, but it points to a rise in depression, with workplace stress among the likely contributors.
CPC International psychologist Dr Noor Aishah Rosli said many of her adult clients keep working and appear to function normally, with their productivity largely unaffected, partly because they have strong family support behind them.
“They also attend follow-up appointments and therapy sessions, and take medication to help manage their symptoms. Many feel inferior, afraid and ashamed because society does not support them and often equates mental illness with being ‘crazy’,” she said.
She said mental health conditions vary widely, from depression and schizophrenia to panic attacks, anxiety and stress, and that therapy and medication allow most people to hold down a job, with severe cases the exception. People who can still talk with family and others, stay calm and take part in social activity are often able to keep working, she added.
Employers have their own reason to act. The Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye warned that organisations risk losing productivity when they overlook staff who turn up for work but struggle to function because of stress, anxiety or burnout, a pattern known as presenteeism that The Sun reported.
Citing the Employment Hero Wellness at Work Report 2024, he said 67 per cent of Malaysian employees experienced burnout in 2024, against 58 per cent in 2022.
“Presenteeism quietly drains productivity and impacts our national growth. If we ignore mental health, we are not only failing our people, we are failing our economy,” he said.
Noor Aishah said she had also treated people who developed mental health conditions after facing excessive pressure at work, and such cases were not isolated. “Many workers are diagnosed with mental health conditions partly because of inconsiderate employers who assign workloads beyond their capabilities, as well as supervisors or managers who adopt an overly commanding approach,” she said. “This puts workers under extreme stress. Employers often justify such practices by arguing that employees are paid to carry out any assigned task, without considering their mental and physical wellbeing.”
She proposed that organisations run psychological assessments for staff at every level, from senior management to frontline employees, and that the government consider similar measures through the Social Security Organisation. “The agency under the Human Resources Ministry could provide trained counsellors or psychologists to help workers facing workplace problems,” she said. “Every organisation should have mental health screening to assess employees’ emotional wellbeing, personality and ability to perform specific tasks.”
She added that employers in developed countries already use such assessments, and that the measures exist to keep treatment fair to employees. She also called for better workplace layouts, brighter and more welcoming spaces, and positive social activities to lift morale.
