Lee: Index to gauge people’s psychological wellbeing needed
SIBU: Malaysia should come up with its own index to gauge the people’s psychological wellbeing, especially those in the country’s workforce.
The suggestion came from National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ( Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, who said it is high time the country has a tool to measure the people’s psychological well-being.
“This can be done through the introduction of terms and references including parameters for the index for the development of the Malaysia Psychological well-being index.
“We have to ensure that those who contribute to the nation’s development are those with a positive mindset, mature and have the ability to be productive, creative and innovative,” he said in a media statement here yesterday.
“A country’s success is not merely determined by the economic dimension but also by human capital development founded on professionalism, acumen and good mental health development.
“We need to beef up efforts to churn out workers who are physically, emotionally and spiritually balanced,” Lee added.
Figures released by the World Health Organisation ( WHO) show that more than 300 million people around the globe are experiencing an episode of what is referred to as clinical depression, he noted.
“Depression is significantly undiagnosed or under- diagnosed. It is not being taken as seriously as physical maladies. Depression does not receive, and never has, the same level of attention and weightiness as other chronic illnesses.
“It is time to start treating depression like any other serious medical illness. Primary care providers are not well equipped nor do they use the best practices for treating depression as other chronic condition.
“We know more about heart failure, asthma and diabetes than we do about depression. Almost everyone is aware of the common warning signs of diabetes. Society must start to raise awareness about depression.”
Lee reckoned that there is lack of public education about this illness.
“As such with suicide issues being so widespread in the population, it is vital to raise awareness and teach people that when they feel sad, hopeless or lose interest or pleasure in their usual activities, they must seek medical help without delay,” he highlighted.
Many people’s depression is made worse by the stigma and judgement they get from society, he continued, adding that the stigma makes many people feel ashamed to seek medical help, and prefer to hide their symptoms so as not to be categorised as ‘mentally ill’.
“Removing the negative stigma associated with depression will save lives.
“The government should increase resources required in both the urban and rural areas to adequately provide the needed quality mental health screening and services,” Lee said.