Workplace Stressors, Mental Health and Performance Outcomes among Malaysian Construction Consultants

The construction industry's emphasis on delivering projects on schedule, within budget, and to standard exacerbates stressful conditions already marked by dynamic uncertainty and frequent conflicts. Professionals in the construction sector, such as consultants, often work long hours under tight schedules and conflicting demands. Moreover, office-based consultants face unique, equally challenging conditions compared to their site-based colleagues, leading to severe stress, reduced performance, and poor mental well-being. Consequently, this study aims to provide insights into workplace stress, mental well-being, and its impacts among construction consultants in Malaysia through the following objectives: 1) to identify critical workplace stressors; 2) to assess current mental health; and 3) to examine the impact of the stressors on operational work performance. The study used questionnaires that covered dimensions of workplace stressors, effects, and outcomes, which were distributed to construction consultants in the highly urbanised Klang Valley, Malaysia. Data from 80 respondents were analysed using SPSS for descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as reliability and validity testing. The findings reveal a critical need for intervention, with 60% of respondents expressing serious concern regarding their current mental health. The analysis identified insufficient salary and excessive workload as the most significant stressors contributing to poor mental well-being. These stressors were found to directly impact professional outcomes, with poor motivation and fear of workplace accidents as the main consequences. Grounded in the relational trends identified by a Pearson bivariate correlation matrix, the study introduces a robust, three-tiered strategic intervention framework. These insights provide a critical empirical foundation for engineering consultancies and regulatory bodies to deploy top-down support frameworks that protect practitioners' well-being while optimising project delivery performance across the built environment sector. Cost Management Criteria in Biomimicry Sustainability Assessment Tool: Relative Importance Analysis using Analytic Hierarchy