Family, bomohs and why mentally-ill aren’t seeking help While treating mental disorders is in itself a challenge, encouraging access to the treatments has proven to be the bigger challenge. The reality is, a majority of those who suffer from mental disorders here do not seek or receive help – which is surprising for a country like Singapore, where modern mental health programmes, services and platforms are readily available. There have been increased efforts to provide such services and programmes especially in light of the ageing population, and pressures from work and family. Such efforts, identified in the National Mental Health Blueprint for 2007-2012, include (among other things) public education, outreach in schools, workplaces, integrated programmes such as the Community Mental Health Team and Mental Health-General Practitioner Partnership, and mental health research. Most also face financial constraints accessing health care services. As such, it is important to understand the cultural background of patients.
Who's CHAT - CHAT - Community Health Assessment Team Our full name is "Community Health Assessment Team", and we've been helping and supporting young people with mental health concerns since 2009. CHAT is a national outreach and mental health check programme under the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). You can think of us as Singapore's "AAA" battery for youth mental health. Essentially, we are a group of healthcare professionals dedicated to promote: Awareness of mental health;Access to mental health resources; and toAssess, by providing a confidential and personalised mental health check for young persons between 16 and 30 years old. WE LOVE CHAT HUB.It’s a space for you to pick up resources about mental health, or simply speak to any of our friendly youth support workers if you have any queries.
Many still steer clear of people with mental illness: Poll, Singapore News Even as more people are seeking outpatient treatment at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), more than five in 10 respondents in a recent survey indicated they are unwilling to live with, live nearby or work with a person with a mental health condition. The survey, which is the first of its kind by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), found that most people agree that more needs to be done to reduce societal stigma, yet they are also reluctant to accept them on an individual level. In the survey of 1,796 people conducted last year, six in 10 people said they believe that mental health conditions are caused by a lack of self-discipline and willpower, while half believe that persons with mental health conditions should not be given any responsibility. But seven in 10 respondents acknowledged that persons with mental health conditions experience stigma and discrimination in their daily lives, and eight in 10 said they believe the best therapy is for them to be included in society.
It Changed My Life: How a mother lost her 11-year-old son to depression, Singapore News The three notebooks are filled with doodles, comic strips, riddles and little stories, rendered and written in pencil. One quirky drawing has a parrot mouthing its response to the poser: What do you get when you cross a centipede with a chicken? Answer: Drumsticks for everyone. The illustrations spring from the fertile imagination of Evan, the eldest of Doreen Kho's four children. The 43-year-old businesswoman says her son once asked her: "Mom, do you know why I started to draw comics? Because my comics will make people smile and laugh."
NCSS - About the Campaign About Beyond the Label Beyond the Label is a movement to address stigma faced by persons with mental health conditions in society. According to the Singapore Mental Health Study 2010, one in eight adults have experienced a mental health condition in their lifetime. Of those, about four in five do not seek help due to stigma and low mental health literacy. Understanding Your Mental Health "There is no health without mental health" Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. The World Health Organisation constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Good mental health isn't just the absence of mental health problems. Numbers up and ages down for child suicides: experts explain, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper Some children as young as eight years old are thinking of suicide to cope with their problems, says a psychologist. Citing an example, Mr Lawrence Tan told The New Paper: "Despite doing pretty well in school, a young patient faced performance anxiety and gave herself a lot of pressure. "She messaged a family member, saying she felt like a failure and a burden on her parents, and that they would be better off if she were gone." Statistics from Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), a suicide prevention centre, show that numbers are on the rise, with more young children contemplating suicide.
More seeking help amid push to raise mental health awareness, Singapore News More people have been seeking help in handling mental health conditions. According to Dr Vincent Ng, chief executive officer of AMKFSC Community Services, there has been a 42 per cent increase in people seeking help from its mental health service MindCare over the past two years, either for themselves or their loved ones. He was speaking at yesterday's MindStories exhibition at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage, the first event in this year's Mental Health Awareness Singapore Learning Series initiative. Organised by AMKFSC, it features the personal experiences and anecdotes of 18 people tackling mental health conditions, such as those in recovery and caregivers. Guest of honour Koh Poh Koon, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said that from 2016 to June this year, AMKFSC Community Services provided intervention to almost 400 people with mental health conditions in Ang Mo Kio GRC.
TODAY Online - Peer support programme initiated for mental health patients People who have recovered from mental health issues will soon be roped in to share their personal experiences and offer advice to patients as part of a new national framework, Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin announced yesterday. In a bid to break the stigma associated with mental illnesses and strengthen the support for such patients, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) are co-developing this initiative, where a pool of former patients may be “peer specialists” to those who need a listening ear. These specialists will be hired on a full-time basis to work in IMH, NCSS or the VWOs. This initiative also expands on the existing Peers 4Rs Programme under the IMH’s Early Psychosis Intervention Programme, where recovered patients volunteer part-time to be “buddies” to their peers.
Mental illness more prevalent among young adults, OCD one of top disorders in S’pore SINGAPORE — Young adults are most at risk of suffering from mental disorders in Singapore, the latest Singapore Mental Health Study found. Those aged between 18 and 34 are more likely to have experienced bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse, and obsessive compulsive disorder, it said in a report on the findings, which were released on Tuesday (Dec 11). Other socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, marital status, education and income status are also associated with the prevalence of mental disorders.
He’s 48, and already grappling with dementia SINGAPORE: He was once an accomplished teacher and published author of two chemistry books. But two years ago, when he was only 46, Mr George Chong was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s, an uncommon form of dementia. There was no cure, the doctor told him – and he slowly began to lose control of his daily life. Over time, he found it hard to follow instructions, do simple calculations and, sometimes, even distinguish his right hand from his left. “Because of Alzheimer’s, I was very agitated. It was so bad that I even scolded my wife: ‘Why didn’t you take care of me?’” Parliament: New measures to boost mental health in the community, Politics News SINGAPORE - Frontline staff from government agencies, including the police, will be trained to spot and respond to mental health cases in the community. Social service and community agencies will also receive basic training to identify and respond to people with mental health issues, and refer them to the Agency for Integrated Care for help. These are among the objectives to boost community mental health care that wereannounced in Parliament on Thursday (March 9) by Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor. "We will expand mental health and dementia services in polyclinics, to make care more accessible," she said. "Our target is for one in two polyclinics to implement mental health clinics by 2021."
More people in Singapore have experienced a mental disorder in their lifetime, study finds SINGAPORE — One in seven people in Singapore have experienced a mental disorder such as bipolar disorder or alcohol abuse in their lifetime, an increase from roughly one in eight several years ago. The top three mental disorders here were major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse and obsessive compulsive disorder. This is based on the finding of the second Singapore Mental Health Study, which started in 2016 and involved interviews with 6,126 Singaporeans and permanent residents. Read also