Mental health expert calls for systemic reforms for migrant workers’ well-being

KUALA LUMPUR: An expert has called for culturally tailored helplines, protections against job loss or deportation for seeking help and mental health training to address a growing crisis among migrant workers.

Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) president Professor Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj also called for mandatory employer responsibilities ­— safe accommodation, reasonable working hours, guaranteed leave and access to medical care.

He said these measures should be supported by routine death audits, transparent data sharing across agencies and stronger community mental health capacity through NGO-government partnerships.

Commenting on mental health issues affecting foreigners, particularly those from Nepal, Andrew said financial pressure, loneliness and exhaustion were key drivers of poor mental health and suicide.

It was previously reported by the Nepal embassy that 1,158 Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia had died from 2018 to July 2021, with suicide among the key causes.

“Loneliness is a well-documented risk factor for depression and suicide,” he said.

Complicating matters for Nepali workers, he said, are cultural barriers that limit help-seeking.

“In Nepal, there is a strong stigma around mental illness and suicide. People may interpret symptoms as moral weakness rather than a treatable illness.”

Many male migrants, he added, fear that admitting distress means failing in their role as family providers.

He also highlighted how Western mental health terminology may not align with Nepali expressions of distress, making it harder for workers to communicate their condition and for clinicians to identify it.

The physical environment compounds the harm. Andrew said overcrowded and poorly maintained dormitories increase stress and hinder recovery, with poor sleep, lack of privacy and the spread of disease worsening mood disorders and anxiety.

Persistent night shifts, long hours and lack of leave contribute to burnout, while workplace injuries and unsafe conditions add layers of trauma and economic insecurity.

Andrew said mental health services remain largely inaccessible to migrant workers due to legal, financial and policy barriers.

Culturally appropriate services are even scarcer. While NGOs and international agencies fill critical gaps, they remain severely under-resourced.

“Government clinics can provide basic care if language support is available, but many clinicians lack training in cross-cultural assessment and in detecting suicide risk among migrant workers,” he said.

Andrew warned that severe depression and anxiety can lead to hopelessness, impaired decision-making and weakened problem-solving, while substance use and sleep deprivation increase impulsivity and vulnerability to accidents or self-harm.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

المصدر: New Straits Times