EXPLAINER: Find out how mental fitness screening can improve workplace mental well-being
NPRO-8 Core is an objective brain-based mental fitness screening designed to measure stress, recovery, and performance under pressure. Rather than relying on self-report alone, it adds a physiological layer to show how people are functioning in the moment. The goal is not to diagnose illness, but to identify early signs of strain before they lead to reduced performance, absenteeism, or burnout.
At Rotgans Research, we believe it is time to make mental fitness screening a normal part of health and workplace well-being. We routinely check blood pressure, do blood tests, and screen physical health before problems become serious. But when it comes to mental fitness, support often starts much later, only after stress has already turned into burnout, anxiety, or prolonged absence. We think that is too late.
What we are proposing is not a diagnosis of mental illness, and it is not a replacement for a doctor or psychologist. It is an objective screening of current mental fitness. In the same way that physical screening can provide an early indication of risk, mental fitness screening can provide an early indication of stress, reduced recovery, and possible impact on day-to-day functioning.
In just 10 minutes, NPRO-8 provides insight into three core areas: Stress Load, Recovery Capacity, and Functional Impact. Because it can be repeated over time, it offers more than a one-off result. It shows trajectory — whether a person’s mental fitness is improving, staying stable, or deteriorating — and creates a more objective basis for targeted follow-up and support.
We do not diagnose illness. We screen mental fitness early, objectively, and before problems escalate.
Stress is a business issue, not just a wellbeing issue
Stress is no longer a hidden wellbeing issue. It is already affecting productivity, performance, absence, and cost at scale. Globally, poor mental health at work is estimated to cost the economy around US$1 trillion in lost productivity each year, with 12 billion working days lost annually due to anxiety and depression — two common outcomes when stress and burnout are not identified early enough.
In Singapore, 1 in 3 employees report work-related stress or burnout. At the same time, the annual productivity cost linked to anxiety and depression has been estimated at S$15.7 billion. These are not separate problems. Workplace stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, absence, and reduced performance often sit on the same risk pathway.
The message is straightforward: stress is already on the balance sheet.
Yet access to support does not necessarily mean the problem is being identified accurately. Research from early 2026 suggests that although 45% of Singaporean employees have access to counselling, 61% still report burnout. The question is: why?
Because support is often introduced too late, stress is rarely measured objectively, and many wellbeing interventions remain too generic to be effective.
Training only works when you know exactly what needs to be improved. That is where mental fitness screening comes in.
Comprehensive reporting
