Work stress taking toll and driving thoughts of suicide

More than one third of employees who sought psychological support said they are afraid of going to work, with nearly 20 percent of people having thought about ending their lives due to stress at work, an NGO survey has found.

That startling finding came in a Hong Kong Christian Service and Four Dimensions Consulting survey of 627 counseling service users from 2021 to last year in which more than half of them were said to be in a poor mental state.

The Employee Assistance Program counseling service that they launched is designed to help prevent and resolve psychological, family or work-related issues and enhance well-being.

Before counseling, nearly 40 percent of the respondents said they were suffering from serious stress from work while around 35 percent said they were afraid of going to work.

The poll also found that almost 80 percent of respondents said they cannot concentrate on work, which is 20 percentage points higher than the global average.

The Christian Service said the program has helped workers improve their mental health, as nearly 70 percent of service users with severe work pressure saw their stress levels downgraded from severe to moderate or mild after counseling.

More than 93 percent of those who considered suicide or self-harm gave up the thoughts after the counseling.

A 50-year-old financial company employee, Chan, said he suffered from mental breakdowns due to heavy workloads and high pressure.

Chan said he had to work long hours and received more than 100 emails daily, which led to constant tears, insomnia, loss of appetite and suicidal thoughts.

He sought help from the program last year and touted it for helping him achieve emotional stability.

Klaris Leung Ka-wai , clinical psychologist and case manager at Four Dimensions Consulting, said the number of mental illnes cases has been increasing in recent years.

The program is now handling thousands of cases per year and over 95 percent of them are discovered after employees take the initiative to seek help.

"We should not only handle mental problems after they emerge, but we should also prevent them in advance," Leung said.

She added that lectures and workshops on mental health are included in the program.

Leung also said the program should be conducted in cooperation with the government's integrated community center for mental wellness across the 18 districts. The program provides short-term support to employees and will refer those in need of long-term assistance to the centers.