Part one: Investing in employee mental health is imperative for everyone’s success

Asian countries have recognised the value of promoting mental health and preventing mental illness. However, more local research and action are needed to respond to unmet needs, which hover at high levels. And while it’s positive that there’s surging interest in the topic, its prevalence is due to the fact that many people are struggling with it.

Nearly half of Southeast Asian employees — 45 per cent — feel that psychological safety is lacking or nonexistent in their workplace. Singaporeans feel the lowest levels of psychological safety among employees in the region, with 51 per cent fearing discrimination or being judged, 44 per cent fearing how this lack of safety will impact their performance reviews and 41 per cent worried about being perceived as unproductive, lazy or weak. Yet teams with greater feelings of psychological safety have lower rates of turnover, as well as better financial results and higher innovation rates.

If people believe they aren’t cared for and their overall health prospects are poor, this can contribute to a downward spiral. That’s why it’s crucial for employers to understand mental health and take it seriously.

Here’s a closer look at mental health, and how it intersects with other elements of health to impact employee engagement, productivity and performance.

What does mental health really mean?

Though the term “mental health” is used frequently, it’s helpful to unpack what exactly it refers to. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of total mental, physical and social wellbeing, rather than the mere absence of infirmity or disease. It encompasses the prevention of mental disorders and their treatment in people who experience them, and the promotion of wellbeing.

The WHO further emphasises that mental health has intrinsic and instrumental value, enabling people to make decisions and build relationships — and it’s therefore defined as a basic human right. Mental health is foundational to overall health and wellness, and critical to relationships, personal wellbeing and the ability to successfully contribute to society.

The connection between mental and physical health

Too often, “psychological” and “physical” are seen as separate states — but the brain is part of the body, and mental and physical health affect one another in a myriad of ways. Stress is inextricably linked to a host of mental and physical health problems. In the January 2025 TELUS Mental Health Index for Singapore, 40 per cent of employees reported experiencing constant stress — resulting in a mental health score 27 points lower than workers not feeling constant stress, and 14 points below the national average.

The global consequences of these high stress levels include a greater physical illness burden, earlier onset of chronic disease and in some cases, premature death. In fact, people with mental illness live much shorter lives than those without these challenges — losing about 10 to 20 years.

Growing evidence shows that both brief and extended periods of physical activity positively affect mental health. Staying active offers many benefits, including improved cognitive function, mood and mindset, quality of life and self-esteem, and reduced levels of stress and depression.

Research has also shown that people naturally produce more endocannabinoids and opioids — neurochemicals linked to pleasure and reduced anxiety and pain — when they engage in physical activity. Exercise has also been proven to improve focus, attention, cognition, memory, fluency with language and decision making for up to two hours.

The connection between mental and financial health

A study from Blackbox Research found that one in three Southeast Asians identify money problems as the issue that has the greatest influence on their mental wellbeing, with work pressures and career struggles ranking almost as high. Obviously, economic strain significantly influences mental wellness in Southeast Asia, with a variety of factors including cost of living, inflation, shifting employment conditions and lack of financial stability all playing key roles.

In fact, one study found about 30 per cent of Singaporeans are losing sleep to ongoing worries about their financial situation. And according to the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, a lack of adequate sleep has been shown to amplify negative emotional reactions to stress and reduce positive feelings.

How mental health relates to workplace performance

According to the 2024 WTW Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey, about 50 per cent of employees in Singapore experience above-average levels of stress, and 32 per cent go without treatment for their anxiety or depression symptoms. And to compound the problem, the mental health risk profile of 82 per cent of workers in Asia is medium to high risk — even as over half of workers in the region say they would be concerned about facing limited career opportunities if their employer found out about an existing mental health challenge they are experiencing.

Employers may want to listen. It’s concerning that 45 per cent of employees in Asia say that their mental health has negatively impacted their productivity, and only 21 per cent of employees in the region are aware of any type of employer-provided employee assistance programs (EAPs).

This was true despite a proven association between EAP access and significant improvements in productivity and mental health and reduced turnover — even after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Investing in employee mental health also boosts the bottom line for businesses, improving their ability to achieve sustainability, recruitment and retention goals.

Empowering employees with mental health support

Companies with effective wellbeing programs are twice as likely to report better human capital and financial performance outcomes. Specifically, these businesses show better talent attraction and retention with lower annual turnover and higher levels of employee engagement and productivity.

And while poor mental health exacts a high cost in the workplace, addressing it is surprisingly cost-effective. International research estimates that every dollar spent to support employee job satisfaction and mental health yields a 4.25x return.

Organisations should ensure employees not only have access to mental health support and services, but can access them on their own terms by making them easily available through digital channels at all hours of the day.

TELUS Health brings a holistic approach to employee health

Designed specifically with employee mental health in mind, TELUS Health EAP extends mental health supports, work-life services and wellbeing engagement tools to both employees and their immediate families. Available anytime, anywhere via the TELUS Health One app, employees have access to professional counselling, content library and self-guided digital programmes designed to help them navigate life’s challenges, transitions and milestones.

Learn more about the other factors and facets of holistic health, and how TELUS Health can help support both employers and employees.