Mental woes haunt funeral workers, says new report

Employees at funeral homes also struggle to develop a sense of identity with their profession, the report says, which also accounted for the mounting psychological pressure.

"Embalmers cannot find the value of their work from how many bodies they prepare each day, and morticians cannot find value from the number of bodies they cremate," the report says.

Common problems faced by funeral workers include somatization, obsessive compulsive disorder and being overly sensitive in relationships.

The lack of social support also further aggravated the distress suffered by the workers as relatives and friends tend to avoid communications with them, while workers also deliberately reduce social contact for fear of their request being refused.

The deep-rooted social stereotypes and superstitions also prevent talent from flowing into the industry as the report found that workers with college undergraduate or graduate degrees tend to suffer from much higher levels of psychological problems, including depression, anxiety and hostility, than the national average.

The report also showed that the level of mental pressure was the least felt among workers who had received only a high school, or lower, education.

Liu says there is no special psychological therapy offered to the workers at his funeral home. "All we do is organize some group entertainment activities to boost morale sometimes," he says.

Liu says he is becoming numb to the prejudices and mental pressure, having worked in the industry for such a long time.

"For me, it is merely a job and I am only concerned about providing for my family. The other factors all come in second," he says.

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