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A psychiatric consultant here, Prof Dr Mohamad Hussain Habil said 60% of his
patients who suffer from depression and anxiety resulting from work and life
stresses were women.
<p>“Few companies have nurseries and the women have to go elsewhere to send
their babies. Sometimes they get to work late and their bosses are not understanding,”
he said. </p>
<p>Dr Mohamad Hussain sees over 100 patients a week for various mental health
problems, about 10% of whom have stress problems. </p>
<p>He added that when these women approach their husbands for help, the men would
say their mothers never told their fathers to take care of the children, wash
clothes or cook. </p>
<p>Those with maids or living with their in-laws had different challenges, he
said. </p>
<p>“By the time they come to see me, some are suicidal and can’t sleep at
night,” he added. </p>
<p>“Companies have to take note of women employees’ needs. Good nurseries
are still lacking in both the public and private sector,” he noted. </p>
<p>“The cost and benefit of an organisation supporting these structures outweighs
the loss from stress. Companies, too, do not want to lose good workers,”
he said. </p>
<p>He said work stress among his patients could be traced to interpersonal relationships
problems, inability to cope with technological changes, safety and noise levels
and poor time management. If unresolved, it could affect productivity or cause
accidents. </p>
<p>Hospital Permai director Dr Benjamin Chan said that the degree of vulnerability
towards stress depended on a person’s make-up and how they had learned
to cope with stress. </p>
<p>“Women in our culture tend to go into depression and seek psychiatric
help, while men tend to turn to substance or physical abuse,” he said.
</p>
<p>Around15% to 20% of the hospital’s outpatient psychiatric cases were related
to depression and anxiety resulting from stress,” said another psychiatrist
from the hospital, Dr Chin Loi Fei. </p>
<p>Recently, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye called for the introduction of guidelines on promoting
mental healthcare in workplaces in view of the competitive and stressful work
environment and increasing suicide attempts among workers.
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