Ikatan urges mental health support for civil servants

KUALA LUMPUR: The Alliance for a Safe Community (Ikatan) has urged civil servants to receive enhanced mental health support following a screening that identified 55,169 officers as high risk. Ikatan emphasized confidential, professional, and timely assistance for at-risk individuals, with referral to further evaluation when needed.

The NGO stressed that psychological well-being should be prioritized in the workplace, and recommended training for managers and department heads to identify and address stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, workplace bullying, and other psychosocial risks without stigmatizing or penalizing affected employees. Ikatan also advocated for a greater emphasis on prevention, examining factors such as workload, long working hours, workplace bullying, inadequate staffing, poor work-life balance, and organizational culture that contribute to psychological distress.

Every ministry and agency should have a comprehensive mental health action plan, including access to trained psychological support, peer-support systems, regular psychosocial risk assessments, and clear pathways for urgent intervention. Public Service Department deputy director-general (Development) Datuk Dr Mohd Bakhari Ismail confirmed the figure on Monday, highlighting the significance of bolstering psychological well-being among civil servants.