KUALA LUMPUR: With mental health issues expected to continue to plague workplaces, 10,000 workers will be trained under the government’s new Occupational Mental Health First Aid (OMHFA) programme to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to help counter the problem.
Developed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the first batch of participants will be provided free training by the body at a cost of RM12mil this year.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said the three-day programme will provide workers with much-needed access to mental health awareness and occupational psychological training.
He said the new programme will address this issue, adding that it will be key in enabling workers to provide early intervention for colleagues facing mental health issues.
“With this, we hope to educate not just workers but also employers and the public as a whole that it is okay to seek help, especially when it comes to mental health issues.
“The World Health Organisation has predicted mental illness to replace cardiovascular disease as the top factor for a person to decide whether to continue working or otherwise,” Sim said in his speech at the 24th Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health (Cosh 2024) held here yesterday.
Sim said the stigma against mental health openness had resulted in heavy under-reporting of cases at workplaces.
He said that under the National Occupational Accident and Disease Statistics 2022, only one psycho-social case was reported compared to other causes such as hearing loss, which made up over 5,000 cases, and explained why: “It is not because there are no mental illness cases; instead it shows a lack of awareness and acceptance towards mental health and the possible solutions.”
Sim said after the first 10,000 complete the training, the cost for others wanting to participate could be listed as levy claims under the Human Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp) programme.Cosh 2024, held in conjunction with the Scientific Conference on Occupational Safety and Health (SciCosh 2024), features over 60 exhibitors from across various industries showcasing the latest in safety technology and practices for workplaces.
The conference is expected to draw in over 3,000 visitors and experts from various sectors for its two-day event which ends today.
