KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Police are considering having regular counselling to help their personnel deal with stress.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said regular sessions were important due to the increased workload in police work.

He said the force had a unit to help officers cope with stress.

"We identify those with problems and send them to the counselling unit run by specially-trained officers."

He said those with problems too complicated for the counselling unit to handle were sent to professionals outside the force.

Ismail said the police force was confident it could handle its personnel's work-related stress problems.

He said the incident in Kuala Lipis last week where a policeman, believed to be under stress, fired 61 shots randomly and almost hit two bystanders, was an exception.

Malaysian Mental Health Association president Datin Dr Ang Kim Teng said work stress was often not only caused by work.

"It is also related to the person's personality and ability to cope with stress.

"It is important to recognise the symptoms of stress to help them cope."

Universiti Malaya Psychological Medicine Department Professor Dr Stephen Jambunathan said regular counselling sessions would benefit policemen.

He suggested obligatory sessions at least twice a year, as well as employing an in-house counsellor for officers to consult.