Abstract
eHealth makes use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve health. In the digital age, the use of eHealth applications and other health-related applications has gained popularity,particularlyduring theCOVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, many uncertainties havearisen, causing stress andaffecting the mental health of many skilled workers in the digital industry, particularly in the ICT, computing, and creative media industries.eHealthapplicationshavethe potential to benefit people's health. As a prerequisite for effective implementation of eHealth for mental wellness (EHMW), this paper examines the acceptance of EHMW amongdigital workersin Malaysia. The objectives of this research are two-fold:1) To explore the acceptance of EHMW amongdigital workersin a localPremier Digital Tech Institution(PDTI), and 2)To explore how these talents' demographic profiles, mental health literacy and workplace wellness influence their acceptance of EHMW. Methods:This research surveyed41digital workerswho played vital roles in providing digital skills at a tertiary education level. Results:Mostrespondentsagreed that eHealthwas appropriate for managing mental wellness. Among the three eHealth domainsfor managing mental wellness, the acceptance level is the highest for the application domain of "interacting for health",with malerespondentsmore likely to accept the use ofEHMW. Conclusions:This small-scale survey could not fully examine theacceptance ofeHealth anditsusage patterns for mental wellness amongdigital workersin Malaysia. Future research will target moredigital workersin Malaysia.This research addresses the research gap ontheeHealth perspectives ofdigital workerson their acceptance,and the potential influence of demographic profiles, mental health literacy, and workplace wellness on EHMW's acceptance of digital health tools/platforms to promote their mental wellness.
Highlights
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing amounts of working adults in Malaysia are facing general health and mental health problems due to concerns such as personal finances and health problems.4 Since the introduction of the Movement Control Order (MCO), most workers, especially digital workers who are working in digital industries and involved in information and communication technology (ICT)-related work areas,8 have moved to working from home (WFH) using various digital technologies and platforms
Close physical contact and travel was prohibited during the MCO, which made it difficult to seek mental health care. eHealth is able to bridge this gap by using information and communication technology (ICT) to help patients access and manage their health, enable remote communication between doctor and client and integrate data collection and analysis into useful information for more accurate diagnosis.13 eHealth for mental wellness (EHMW), such as Telehealth, can overcome many of the restrictions in seeking health information/care following the MCO, as it eliminates the need for travel and is cost effective
To address this research gap, we examined the acceptance of EHMW among digital workers in Malaysia and how demographic profiles, mental health literacy and workplace wellness influence acceptance of EHMW
Summary
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing amounts of working adults in Malaysia are facing general health and mental health problems due to concerns such as personal finances and health problems. Since the introduction of the Movement Control Order (MCO), most workers, especially digital workers who are working in digital industries and involved in ICT-related work areas, have moved to working from home (WFH) using various digital technologies and platforms. As a prerequisite for effective implementation of eHealth for mental wellness (EHMW), this paper examines the acceptance of EHMW among digital workers in Malaysia. Among the three eHealth domains for managing mental wellness, the acceptance level is the highest for the application domain of "interacting for health", with male respondents more likely to accept the use of EHMW. This research addresses the research gap on the eHealth perspectives of digital workers on their acceptance, and the potential influence of demographic profiles, mental health literacy, and workplace wellness on EHMW's acceptance article can be found at the end of the article
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