By Sim YH –
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, OCT 9 – Good mental health is a valuable asset for individuals, families and society in general in moving towards Brunei Vision 2035 and needs to be nurtured in all walks of life.
Therefore, the people and residents of Brunei Darussalam are reminded to use a holistic and integrated approach to maintain good mental health.
The reminder was voiced by the Minister of Health, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar in his message in conjunction with the celebration of World Mental Health Day 2024 which carries the theme, It’s Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace.
Yang Berhormat Dato stated that the holistic and integrated approach includes taking care of spiritual health through istiqamah in religious activities such as prayer, reciting the Al-Quran and chanting, taking care of physical health through exercise and healthy eating and getting enough sleep as well as taking care of social health such as spending time with friends and family.
Meanwhile, he stated that his ministry particularly through the joint venture of the Department of Psychiatry Services, Clinical and Community Psychology Services and the Health Promotion Center also took the initiative to make various roadshows across all ministries in the country throughout the year starting from World Mental Health Day 2023 which is on 10 October 2023 for providing opportunities for open discussion about mental health and reducing stigma among employees.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs (KHEU) also works closely with the Ministry of Health to empower integrated treatment to deal with mental health problems.
In conjunction with World Mental Health Day, he called for every individual to act now and take responsibility for their own mental health.
“By investing effort, collaboration from all parties and evidence-based interventions in the workplace, every employee has the opportunity to thrive at work and in life,” he said.
Earlier, Yang Berhormat Dato emphasized that a safe and healthy work environment can act as a protective factor for mental health.
Unhealthy conditions, he explained further, including stigma, discrimination and exposure to the risk of harassment at work can affect mental health, overall quality of life and result in less participation or productivity at work.
Although working life is very important and can bring good to individuals, families and society, there is no denying that problems at work that are not handled well can lead to mental health problems.
Problems such as bullying, sexual harassment, excessive or undue pressure at work, work-life imbalance, unpaid or delayed wages including overtime wages, favouritism, problems with contact outside working hours, work that does not suit abilities as well as the lack of opportunities to undergo training to improve skills, are part of the problem that can contribute to burnout and mental health.
Uncontrolled consequences can lead to a lack of work productivity including absenteeism, frequent sick leave or quitting.
“The estimated loss for the entire world amounts to US$1 trillion annually and 12 billion working days due to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety,” he stressed.
Therefore, he emphasized that policies that prioritize the mental health of employees are very necessary to be implemented for the good of individuals and also the interests of government and private bodies.
Among the initial steps that can be taken include always ensuring the best approach to support positive mental health in the workplace; creating a workplace environment where every employee can discuss mental health or challenges without being judged; encourage good relations among colleagues including activities team-building such as recreation, exercise or worship together; ensure there is no discrimination against people with mental health problems; identify managers who can successfully implement a mental health program in the workplace including undergoing basic training on mental health and if a workplace can provide counseling services, it is necessary to ensure that the counselor is trained and complies with good ethics including complying with the boundaries of the relationship and maintaining client confidentiality.
