Full-time workers at companies that neglect their employees’ mental health are three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression, the John Tung Foundation said yesterday, citing an Australian study.
Amid a spat of suspected workplace bullying reports in the past few months, Yeh Ya-hsin (葉雅馨), head of the foundation’s mental health section, cited a study published in The BMJ a few years ago to warn that workplace bullying can be detrimental to workers’ mental health.
The study, by the University of South Australia’s Psychosocial Safety Climate Observatory, of 1,084 full-time Australian employees — the average age of whom was 47 and 61 percent of whom were male — found that poor management poses a greater risk for depression, the foundation said.
Photo: Taipei Times
It also found that men are more likely to become depressed if their workplace pays little attention to their mental health, it added.
Tsu Juia-hsin (杜家興), a clinical psychologist at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Jianan Psychiatric Center, said that when someone feels they are being bullied, they should first identify what bullying actions they are experiencing and immediately tell someone they trust.
They should also write down the circumstances of each bullying incident, and then search for available resources, such as their company’s internal reporting channel, human resources department, or external professional psychological counseling or legal assistance, he said.
Workers who are being bullied should also consider changing their job to a healthier work environment after seeking help, so they can establish more supportive relationships in a new workplace, Tsu said.
What is more important is that the workers should try to maintain a positive attitude and focus on the future, rather than the hurt they experienced, he said.
Tsu said men’s mental health is often neglected in the workplace, as society often expects them to be tough and suppress their emotions, making it hard for them to express their stress or seek external help.
That can cause them to develop behavioral changes, physical symptoms or strategies to avoid work, he said.
Managers should show their staff respect and empathy, and listen to their needs, instead of judging them or looking down upon them, he said, adding that they should also encourage workers to pick up healthy recreational activities or hobbies, and learn to relieve their stress to improve their mental health.
If people see their coworkers being bullied, but are afraid to speak up for them, they can quietly collect evidence, such as recordings or write down the bullying behaviors to later act as witnesses when the incidents are reported, Yeh said.
If a coworker is being severely or rudely reprimanded during a meeting, they can try to bring up other topics to shift the focus of attention away from the colleague, she said.
They can also file anonymous complaints to deter bullying, and if they do not receive any response, they should try sending more, she added.
They should also show support and listen to the coworkers that are being bullied, Yeh said.
As bullying behavior is directly associated with the perpetrator’s personality and disrespectful attitude, and most workplace bullying behaviors are from superiors, employers should also try to prevent it by setting rules and principles, creating a workplace culture that allows for mistakes and different opinions, and establishing internal bullying reporting channels, she said.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
RSS