Lee: Help workers with mental woes

Star: PETALING JAYA: Employers should initiate an employee assistance programme for the prevention and early intervention of mental health problems among workers, said National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
“This is because the workplace is not immune from employees who succumb to stress-related problems which could lead to sudden anger, violence, depression and suicide,” he said.
He said the neglect of mental health and psychological factors at the workplace would also directly affect the efficiency and output of any enterprise.
Lee even suggested that insurance providers offer coverage to mentally ill patients, saying it was unfair to deny them such coverage.
“In addition, there should also be income tax relief for parents or other caregivers looking after the mentally ill,” he said in a statement.
As for government hospitals, Lee said there should be better healthcare services for them, as well as efforts to make psychiatric drugs more affordable.
“Society should also be more open and not discriminate against persons who had recovered from mental illnesses. They must be given the chance to re-integrated into society,” he said.