by Dr. Chua Sook Ning, PhD We celebrate World Mental Health Day on October 10th 2020. This international event offers an important contribution to raising mental health awareness and advocating against the social stigma of mental health. The 2020 World Mental Health campaign encourages us to invest: it calls on society to invest in providing […]
absenteeism
The Business Costs of Workplace Mental Health
In the past decade, the number of Malaysians experiencing poor mental health (low mood, worry, feelings of tension and stress) has tripled from 10.7% in 1996 to 29.2% in 2015. This paper estimates the business cost of mental health in terms of absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover. On a national level, the cost of mental health issues in the workplace to the economy is conservatively estimated to be RM14.46bn or 1% of GDP in 2018.
The business costs of mental health
Mental health issues are significant health issues that can negatively affect a person’s relationships, productivity, and physical health. Common signs of poor mental health are feeling down, loss of pleasure or interest, sleeping difficulties, appetite changes, constant worry or feeling numb and empty inside. Consequently, workers with mental health issues are more likely to take […]