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How mental health challenges can affect families, finances and everyday life and why early support matters
Mental health is often treated as a private matter. But when someone in a family is struggling, the effects are rarely theirs alone.
Changes in mood, behaviour, work and relationships can affect partners, parents, children and even extended family members. There can also be practical consequences, such as taking time away from work to provide support or dealing with the cost of treatment.
Zurich’s latest The Value of Mental Health report highlights why mental health needs to be viewed through a wider lens. Covering six countries, including Malaysia, the report looks at the impact of mental health conditions on people, productivity and protection systems. It finds that the burden is often carried privately by individuals, families and employers, rather than fully captured by formal healthcare systems.
For Malaysia, the projections point to a growing challenge. By 2030, around 12% of the population — or roughly one in nine people — is projected to be living with a mental health condition.
The report also projects that more than four million people in Malaysia could be affected.
When mental health becomes a family matter
The effects of poor mental health can show up in everyday family life.
Someone living with depression, anxiety or another mental health condition may find it harder to keep up with daily routines, stay productive at work or remain socially connected. Families often absorb the difference, whether by taking on more of the household, providing emotional support or helping the person arrange and attend treatment.
In Malaysia, this informal support can be particularly important because mental health is still often treated as a private issue.
Zurich’s report notes that stigma, limited awareness and misconceptions can discourage people from seeking professional care. It cites research suggesting that as many as four in five people with a mental disorder may not have access to professional care.
This can leave families trying to manage problems on their own, including the financial implications, which the report also highlights.
By 2030, an average person in Malaysia living with a mental health condition is projected to have 42% of treatment costs covered through out-of-pocket expenditure. The same projection estimates an 18% employment gap compared with people without a mental health condition.
For a household, those figures can translate into difficult choices. Treatment may mean additional expenses at the same time as a person’s ability to work is affected.
“In Malaysia, mental illness is still something many people try to manage quietly, and very often the family carries it with them. Recognising it earlier and seeking help sooner makes a real difference, not only for the person affected but for everyone around them,” says Zurich Malaysia chief proposition management officer (life segment) Lee Han Boon.
Early support can change the picture
One of the report’s central findings is that earlier recognition creates opportunities for pre-emptive action.
Mental health conditions can exist along a broad spectrum, from distress associated with life events to persistent clinical conditions. In Malaysia, milder forms of distress, particularly anxiety, are more likely to be managed informally through family support, counselling or self-coping. This means recorded cases may not reflect the full extent of need.
That makes it important for families to pay attention to changes in behaviour, rather than waiting for a crisis.
Starting a conversation can be a simple first step. A family member who appears persistently withdrawn, overwhelmed or unable to cope may need support rather than criticism.
Encouraging someone to speak to a qualified healthcare professional can also help move the conversation from informal coping towards appropriate care.
Access to support is another part of the equation. Zurich’s report notes the growth of digital and tele-mental health services in Malaysia, including online counselling, tele-psychology and crisis support. These services can provide greater privacy and lower-cost options for people who may otherwise hesitate to seek help.
Financial protection can also form a broader approach to health planning.
Zurich Malaysia’s Zurich InfiniteCare Shield medical rider includes a mental illness hospitalisation benefit of up to RM3,000 per rider year. The plan also provides medical coverage for hospitalisation and outpatient treatment, subject to its terms and conditions.
For those seeking syariah-compliant protection, MediPro offers mental illness coverage across five specified conditions:
- Major depressive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Schizoaffective disorder
Its hospitalisation benefit for mental illness ranges from RM1,500 to RM3,000 a year depending on the plan selected.
These forms of coverage do not replace professional care or family support. They can, however, form part of a wider plan for dealing with unexpected healthcare needs.
Building resilience together
Mental health is often discussed in terms of individual resilience, but families can play an important role in helping people stay connected to work, relationships, and treatment.
Zurich’s report argues that personal resilience needs to work alongside supportive protection systems. It also notes that employers can play a role through early adjustments and coordinated support, helping people remain connected rather than disengaging from work for longer periods.
For families, the lesson is similar: support does not have to wait until a problem becomes severe.
Checking in with one another, taking concerns seriously, seeking professional help when needed, and planning for healthcare costs can all form part of a practical approach to mental health.
Mental health may begin with one person, but its effects can reach an entire household.
Recognising that connection is a first step towards building families that are better prepared for change — and better equipped to support one another when it arrives.
For more information on Zurich Malaysia’s mental health protection and the findings of The Value of Mental Health report, visit Zurich Malaysia’s website.
The benefit(s) payable under eligible products are protected by PIDM up to limits. Please refer to PIDM’s TIP brochure on zurich.com.my or pidm.gov.my.
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