Chartered Secretaries Australia (CSA) has been demanding that its members should take mental health as a priority, according to a new report. The reason is that the illnesses related to mental health are on the rise, but are being left unnoticed.

CSA is of the belief that the key governance and risk management issue is mental health and it is a must that such issues come out in public. At the same time, it is concerned since most of the people with a mental health disorder feel shameful to talk about the same.

The group has decided to associate with the National Mental Health Commission or NMHC. CSA aims at addressing the vital productivity issue prevailing across Australia and is planning a campaign to raise awareness about mental illnesses as well.

NMHC has heard from various people that they have been working at their offices despite their illness. Also, none has noticed their suffering, but their productivity goes down at workplaces for almost six weeks at a time.

Suggestions are that people should feel free to discuss their conditions and get treated timely without hesitation. "Recent legislative changes mean employers now have a greater duty of care manage mental health in the workplace", said the Centre for Corporate Health's Rachel Clements.