Sun@BGF – Mental Well-Being at Work: The Need for Compassionate Leadership with Dr. Alvin Ng

Leaders empower and inspire, but leaders are also rare. At the workplace, there are many managers. Managers are not necessarily leaders. Poor management increases risk of burnout at work. Burnout is a recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a mental health condition that is detrimental to occupational productivity and well-being. It is common in many organizations, yet not addressed as it is not seen as a physical condition. Unlike physical health, conversations about mental health is usually shunned. In the work setting, human resource benefits tend to address only physical health, but not mental health.

Mental Well-Being at Work: The Need for Compassionate Leadership

The reality is, many employees need mental health support, and in some cases actual professional interventions. Mental health is a taboo topic for many people. The negative stigma attached to mental illness is a barrier to better mental health literacy in the community and in organizations. Given this, organizational leadership who care for employees need to step up and address the lack of attention on mental health at work. The productivity and sustainability of any organization relies on the health and well-being of its employees. In this talk, Dr. Alvin Ng will explain what mental health literacy is all about and how it is very relevant in any organizational leadership, especially in the age of COVID-19.

About Dr. Alvin Lai

Dr. Alvin Ng Lai Oon is currently an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at Sunway University, Malaysia. He is a clinical psychologist by training. Dr. Ng’s research areas include mental health literacy, positive psychology, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and cross-cultural factors in psychotherapy. He is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Monash University Malaysia, as well as an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, UK. Dr. Ng has given numerous talks on mental health topics to the public and private organizations. He is passionate about empowering the community to initiate conversations on mental health, to seek help and stop the stigma surrounding mental illness.