When we speak of corruption, we often think about stolen wealth, wasted opportunities and the erosion of institutions meant to protect the rakyat.

But what if corruption also steals something less tangible, but equally precious, i.e. our mental health?

Corruption is not merely an economic or political problem.

It is a profound social injustice that breeds powerlessness, cynicism and despair among citizens.

In Malaysia, where corruption has been described as “cancerous”, and even “normalised” in some sectors, the psychological toll seeps silently into the fabric of society.

Our everyday experiences, repeated in different forms, generate helplessness, chronic stress, anger and a sense of futility.

When systemic corruption persists, it cultivates “learned helplessness”.

This is a psychological state where people believe that no matter what they do, the outcome will not change.

Over time, this increases risks of depression and anxiety, especially among youth who feel their future is pre-written by invisible networks of privilege.

Widening inequality

Corruption deepens social inequalities.

In public health, studies have shown that corruption diverts scarce resources from essential services, weakens health systems and disproportionately harms the poor.

When low-income communities face decaying infrastructure, broken public transport, underfunded schools and other deteriorating support services, it translates into daily stressors that erode psychological well-being.

Inequality is a key social determinant of mental health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasised that societies with wide income gaps have higher prevalence of mental disorders such as depression, substance abuse and suicide.

Corruption acts as a driver of this inequality by funnelling national wealth away from social development into private coffers, thereby exacerbating economic injustice and its mental health consequences.

Eroding principles

Moral injury is a concept first used in military psychology to describe the emotional damage that occurs when individuals witness or partake in acts that violate their moral beliefs.

However, moral injury can also affect ordinary citizens who are forced to navigate corrupt systems.

The daily compromise of principles, whether by paying a bribe to process a permit or by staying silent about a corrupt superior to protect one’s job, creates moral dissonance.

Over time, this moral injury may lead to shame, guilt, loss of dignity and psychological distress.

People begin to question their identity, their society’s values and whether justice truly exists.

When large-scale corruption scandals remain unresolved or are met with minimal accountability, a collective sense of despair and erosion of national pride sets in.

Citizens internalise feelings of betrayal and abandonment, believing they have little power to change systems.

This psychological disempowerment is detrimental to mental health, feeding hopelessness and social disengagement.

Normalisation of corruption

Another overlooked impact is how corruption shapes values and beliefs, leading to normalisation of bad behaviour.

When people perceive corruption as “necessary to survive”, social trust declines.

This distrust breeds further corruption, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.

Psychologically, citizens may begin to adopt corrupt practices themselves to avoid disadvantage, thus experiencing inner conflict, anxiety and moral fatigue.

For youth growing up in such an environment, corruption becomes embedded in moral development.

Perceived societal corruption increases tolerance towards unethical behaviour, reduces civic engagement, and promotes individualistic, rather than collective, survival mindsets.

This value shift erodes social cohesion, a critical protective factor for mental health.

Conversely, corruption can affect the mental health of the corrupt and those perceived to be so, as corruption scandals are constantly reported in the media.

Shared perceptions of high societal corruption can lead to heightened anxiety that individuals or their loved ones may be apprehended.

On Oct 23, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the inauguration of the Hong Kong–Macau Bridge in Macau.

Four days before Xi’s arrival, Macau Liaison Office director Zheng Xiaosong committed suicide.

The official cause of death was listed as depression.

It was reported that between 2009 and 2016, more than 243 Chinese officials committed suicide, with most deaths occurring after the anti-corruption campaign was launched in 2012.

Changing mindsets

At the 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day held at Swinburne University of Technology in Kuching, the then Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Sarawak director Datuk Mohd Zaki Hassan said that arresting or removing corrupt individuals, while necessary, may fall short of creating lasting change with broad societal impacts.

He likened corruption to a mental illness, emphasising the need for a transformative approach focused on healing the mind, rather than solely addressing its external manifestations.

“Corruption must be removed from the mind.

“The only proven method to change yourself is to change your mind,” he said.

He added that corruption involves major crimes that can affect the social and economic progress of society, as it distorts the economy, encourages lawlessness and shifts income from the poor to the rich.

Zaki quoted the World Economic Forum as observing that corruption increases the cost of doing business by up to 10% on average.

Affecting services

Ironically, corruption also directly affects mental health services themselves.

Globally, mental health is already underfunded, receiving only 2% of health budgets on average, despite contributing to 14% of the global burden of disease.

In many countries where corruption pervades procurement, infrastructure or medication supply chains, mental health services are further weakened.

The stigma surrounding mental illness then makes it easier for such corruption to go unnoticed or unchallenged, leaving vulnerable populations with no voice.

This is not merely hypothetical.

Transparency International has documented cases in low- and middle-income countries where mental health programmes are especially prone to budget leakages due to their lack of visibility.

Fortunately, in Malaysia, there are no documented or reported instances of outright corruption in mental health services.

Embed mental health perspectives

Anti-corruption strategies are often focused on punitive measures, transparency and institutional reforms.

While these remain essential, incorporating mental health perspectives adds a human dimension to policy.

Anti-corruption campaigns must highlight its psychological harms – not just economic losses – in order to build public urgency and empathy.

Storytelling about how corruption destroys dignity, breeds trauma and shatters hope can be powerful.

It is not just about numbers and statistics, but also about the real people who suffer because of corruption.

This was done effectively in Australia with the message that if there is corruption, we all have to pay.

Anti-corruption reforms must also target marginalised communities to help build societal resilience and to restore trust.

It is not just about fixing the problem, but also about creating a society that is strong enough to resist corruption.

Educational institutions should integrate ethics, civic education and emotional intelligence training to inoculate youth against the normalisation of corruption.

By fostering values of integrity, fairness and collective responsibility, we create psychologically-healthy citizens who refuse to partake in corrupt systems.

Mental health professionals too have a role in advocacy.

By documenting and speaking about how corruption worsens mental health, we widen the discourse beyond mere legality into morality and human rights.

Ultimately, corruption is not merely about money changing hands in dark corridors.

It is about the slow erosion of the human spirit.

It is of dignity stolen, hope betrayed and the future mortgaged.

Its impact on mental health is profound, far-reaching, and yet largely invisible in public discussions.

In building a healthier Malaysia, fighting corruption is as much about building clean institutions as it is about healing psychological wounds.

The fight against corruption is, in essence, a fight for our collective mental health.

Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj is a consultant psychiatrist and the Malaysian Mental Health Association president. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.