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KUCHING: More than 40,000 civil servants in the country are at high risk of experiencing psychological health issues that require immediate intervention to avoid mental disorders, said Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

He said this was based on research done through the Civil Servant Psychological Health Digital Profiling System (MyPsyD) which was created on March 1 as one of the government’s latest initiatives to improve risk behaviour prevention programmes.

“It (the study) has covered almost one million civil servants who have successfully completed the MyPsyD Profile,” he said when speaking at the launching ceremony of the International Conference on Psychological Well-Being 2024 (ICOPW2024) here yesterday.

According to him, the MyPsyD Profile is important because it acts as an indicator of public officials and organisations so that they are more accurate in formulating strategies through self-development, prevention, and intervention to upkeep their well-being and remain prudent in providing services.

He said in addition, the results of the Malaysian Psychological Well-Being Index (IKPM) study, conducted in the civil service, showed that the level of psychological well-being among civil servants was still at a moderate level.

Wan Ahmad Dahlan said prioritising mental health is indeed the government’s agenda in ensuring mental and physical health, to support the increase in productivity of civil servants to an optimal level.

He said this is in line with the intention of the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar to create Guidelines for the Cultivation of Enjoyment at Work in the Public Service, in line with the Culture of Enjoyment at Work as a Reform Success Strategy 4 (SKR4) in the Public Service Reform Agenda 2024-2030.

“Happiness at work will help employees do their work efficiently and improve the performance of the organisation,” he said.

According to him, ICOPW2024 is expected to be the best platform for civil servants and citizens in supporting the agenda of the 12th Malaysia Plan, Madani Pillars and Madani Economy to build well-being, as well as achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

“This conference will be able to form a better mental health landscape and it is also hoped to make a significant contribution towards producing excellent, caring and balanced civil servants from a psychological and spiritual perspective,” he added.