The incidence of young professionals ending up with medical problems, including insomnia, depression and hypertension, is becoming more frequent, the major cause of which is extra-long work hours. Dr Lim Boon Leng, a psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, said such burn-out should not be taken lightly. “It can deteriorate to full-blown depressive or anxiety disorders, with severe symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts,” he said. Human resource experts say the stress has been exacerbated in recent years because of the manpower crunch in many industries.
