The Covid-19 Pandemic has affected our mental health in some degree as it can be rather challenging to cope with changes in lifestyles and at work and to adhere to strict SOPs. In this section of the survey results, we can be more aware of one’s mental health and as well as to help our loved ones around us.
Covid-19 pandemic sees rising mental health concern among Sabahans
As observed through our latest social media survey, 50% of respondents reported that they have experienced a decline in their mental health, while 33% of the respondents experienced no change in their mental health. Only 17% of the respondents experience improvement in their mental health.
Among 50% of respondents that experienced a decline in their mental health, 27% of them felt stressful or emotionally frustrated or angry on the current situation or with its after-effect. Of course, the pandemic has brought anxiety and fear to many of us, based on our social media survey results, at least 20% of respondents feel anxiety, unease and fearful since COVID-19, 20% felt depressed, sad or miserable most of the time and even have lost interest in most activities. 13% feel lonely due to be in isolation for too long, while 10% experienced trouble sleeping or changes in their sleeping habits. On the bright side, 8% of the respondents still hold positive mindset or practicing meditation to cope.
Career & Financial stability causes stress to Sabahans
It is not surprise to see that more than 2/3 of the respondents are stressed about job and financial stability: 30% of respondents said they are worried of their ‘Money/Financial Stability’, while 26.7% worried most on ‘Work/Career/Job Stability’. During the pandemic, many businesses had to shut down temporary or close permanently, and along with SOPs and restrictions to business operating hours, which also lead to the reduction of staffs’ working hours and salaries, these definitely played a big contribution on our livelihood and psychological well-being. Similarly, the constant isolation and many other SOP restrictions throughout these two years have left many feeling in despair or frustrated. Among the remaining respondents, 23.3% of Sabahans are concerned of health/sickness; while 12.5% felt pressured being at home/coping with their family/marriage/relationship. Meanwhile, there are minority of 7.5% of Sabahans students are worried on their schools/studies/exams.
Declining mental healthness and its effect
Over 83% of respondents are either unable to focus or feeling less motivated or felt overworked at work. Only 6% are late for work/ absent more often, an indication of less motivated to come to work or to conduct their normal day-to-day activities; and 11% felt somehow sensitive or emotional about things which were never before.
Workplace Burnout and the Constant Stress, Fatigue & Exhaustion
More than 3/4 of the respondents felt “Yes burnout at work” since the pandemic and amongst these individuals: 31.5% felt they are “Always” burnout at work and feeling extremely stressful, very fatigue and exhausted all the time; 24.1% reported that they “Often” felt burnout and feeling stress frequent but not always; and 23.1% felt burnout “sometimes” and feeling stress at times but not often. In contrast, 21.3% of the respondents felt “No burnout at work”: 10.2% of said they seldom/rarely feel stress at work; and 11.1% never been stress at all in their workplace. Looking at this, there is a possible that a group of the labour force in Sabah could be experiencing a burnout at work that may lead to overall mental health decline and should not be taken lightly.
Road to mental health recovery
Before this pandemic, it is convenient to de-stress and to take short break from our hectic schedule in which we could just easily book a vacation or to just simply treat ourselves by going to the cinema or to our favourite restaurant. And now as the pandemic strikes, most of us resorted to other accessible option to de-stress. In this survey, we managed to observed several solutions Sabahans have took up to sought help with their mental health or simply to speak about how they are feeling how they are feeling during this period.
Majority of 71% of these individuals are willing to speak and share regarding their problems and concerns. Amongst this, 40% preferred to share their problems with their spouse/family/friends, while 18% did master up and spoke with their colleague/manager or employer and 13% did seek professional counseling and therapy. On the other hand, there are still 29% of individuals are unable to speak in regards to the problems that they are facing as they are no one that they can lean on or to confide in.
During this hard period of constant isolation and increasing pressure from our surroundings, it is important to overcome our stress; and by seeking help and to be able to speak out on our problem is crucial to regain our mental health.
Recovering from the declining mental health is a slow process and it may require longer period of time. From this survey, at least 47% of the respondents are still coping with their mental health: 35% are individuals with the age between 25-40 years old and 12% are those of the age 24 years old and below.
53% are beginning to regain their mental health and are feeling okay now. Among which 25% are age between 25-40 years old; 12% are age 24 years old and below; and 16% are age 41-56 years old.
The Covid-19 pandemic has enormously affected us not only on our finance and career progression, but to our psychological well-being and social life. However, as we are entering a new endemic phase, all activities will soon resume while adhering to the new norm and SOPs. This brings us with a new beginning and a new journey of recovering our mental health.
Mental Health Assistance
Getting help is the most important first step to overcome any forms of mental health condition.
Here are a list of several Helpline and Professional Mental Health services available in Malaysia, where you can reach out and talk to professional peers in regards to your mental health:
- MENTARI Sabah by Ministry of Health
088-240984 ext 227/234 | 011-1056782
Click to visit website - Befrienders
03-76272929
Click to visit website - Malaysian Mental Health Association
03-27806803 | 017-6133039
Click to visit website - Mental Illness Awareness & Support Association
1-800-820066
Click to visit website
See the full report: https://www.sabahjobs.com/assets/2021/12/LIFE-IN-SABAH-AFTER-COVID-19_2021.pdf
Other topics:
- Current Job Market Conditions In Sabah
- Implications Of Covid-19 On Mental Healthness
