Thailand - Thailand study: Like taking selfies? You’re probably really lonely or have mental health problems

Alongside som tam and gossiping, the selfie is a national obsession in Thailand.

Of course the #selfie craze isn’t exclusive to Thailand but since the invention of the smartphone, it seems that many people here are unable to get through a single day without snapping a photo of themselves and uploading it to social media.

However, researchers in Bangkok have warned that people who regularly take selfies are likely to be lonely can could even have serious mental health issues.

Researchers also found that people who take a lot of selfies have problems in forming relationships and more likely to attention seekers and vain.

A team from the National Institute of Development Administration in Bangkok surveyed 300 students, assessing their personality habits and looking at how often they took selfies.

The participants were mainly female and were aged between 21-24 years old. As part of the study they were also interviewed to see if they displayed any narcissistic or attention seeking behaviour or to see they felt lonely.

The study found that an overwhelming majority of participants spent more than 50 percent of their free time using social media apps on their smartphone.

Researchers looked at “the degree of selfie-liking” and found that there was a link between the amount selfies taken to the amount of time spent on social media, with those taking the most selfies also spending the most time on the likes of Facebook and Instagram.

The researchers, lead by Dr Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol, believe that men and women who exhibit personalities of loneliness take more selfies and share them on social media in order to seek approval or recognition from others.

Experts found that people who take a lot of selfies do so in order to

seek approval from others

“Not only do individuals who become obsessed with taking selfies tend to feel that their personal lives and psychological well-being are deteriorated, but they may feel that relationship qualities with others are also impaired,” Dr Peerayuth.

Some experts have argued that selfie-taking behavior can be linked to mental illness; however, psychologists suggest that it is not an addiction but a symptom of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which occurs when an individual constantly checks his or her appearance and tries to take perfect photos to impress others.

“This could be the reason why individuals who like to take selfies tend to focus too much on themselves and express less concern about others, added Dr Peerayuth.

“While many people consider taking selfies to be an enjoyable activity, those who take selfies need to concern themselves with the unhealthy behaviors that might be associated with this activity as well”, he concluded.

tech.thaivisa

You can find older posts regarding ASEAN politics and economics news at SBC blog, and older posts regarding health and healthcare at IIMS blog. I thank you.

Malaysia - Psychosocial risks at work affect business

SIBU: All organisations need to consider work-related stress and psychosocial risks as part of their safety and health strategies to reduce accidents and injuries at the workplace.

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye reasoned that managing stress and psychosocial risks at work would create a healthy work environment, in which workers feel valued and the workplace culture is more positive and consequently, productivity and business performance improve.

Lee added although many factors contribute to workers’ mental health and well-being, there is increasing evidence that the workplace environment makes a significant contribution.

Hence, he said employers should be responsible for implementing plans to prevent or reduce psychosocial risks, enabling their employees to play their part and help create a healthy psychosocial work environment.

“In a good psychosocial environment, work can be beneficial for mental health, giving workers a greater sense of social inclusion, identity and status, opportunities for development and increased confidence.

“Conversely, a poor psychosocial work environment can have significant negative effects on workers’ health. There are five categories of health hazards in the workplace – physical, chemical, biological, ergonomics and psychosocial. Stress falls under psychosocial,” Lee said in press statement emailed to thesundaypost here yesterday.

He pointed out as workers spend one-third of their day at office, workplace issues are one of the major contributors of depression but it is often overlooked by employers.

Employees may not recognise the symptoms, especially if they are suffering from a mild form of depression such as burnout and dysthymia, he figured.

“The impact of mental health problems on the workers, their families and society as a whole, is immense and needs to be addressed. It is important to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of workers and their families through initiatives to promote good mental health at the workplace.

“Mental health issues at the workplace should be given due attention as the productivity of the staff of any organisation depends on their mental health.”

He cautioned that the neglect of mental health and psychosocial factors at the workplace is not only detrimental to a worker but also directly affects productivity, efficiency and output of any organisation.

Lee said employee performance, frequent illness, absenteeism, accidents and staff turnover are all affected by employees’ mental health status, adding that no workplace is immune to mental disorders.

Therefore, he strongly felt that mental health should no longer be ignored.

On the contrary, it should be given adequate attention in relation to other business in any organisation. Mental health among employees must not be overlooked when discussing OSH issues at the workplace.

He said workplace health promotion is essential and it requires the combined efforts of employers, employees and government working together to improve the health and well-being of people at work.

He noted that the concept of workplace health promotion (WHP) is becoming increasingly relevant as more private and public organisations recognise that success in a globalised marketplace can only be achieved with a healthy, qualified and motivated workforce.

“The implementation of WHP can ensure a flexible and dynamic balance between customer expectations and organisational targets on the one hand and employees’ skills and health needs on the other, which can assist companies and work organisations to compete in the marketplace. For nations, the development of WHP will be a pre-requisite for sustainable social and economic development,” Lee concluded.

Niosh

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You can find older posts regarding ASEAN politics and economics news at SBC blog, and older posts regarding health and healthcare at IIMS blog. I thank you.