7 Avenues to Get Help In Singapore For Mental Health Issues

What is Mental Illness A mental illness is a disturbance of the mind that impairs the way we think, feel and behave. It affects our daily activities, as well as impact the lives of family members and friends. Mood and anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses.

More people seeking help for mental health conditions, community group says, Singapore News SINGAPORE - More people have been stepping forward to seek 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 the MindStories exhibition at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage on Sunday (Oct 14), 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 in the fight against mental health conditions, such as people in recovery, caregivers and advocates. 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.

What we can do to address stigma The Movement’s desired outcomes for employers are: Provide a safe and supportive environment for disclosure Adopt more inclusive hiring practices and put in place workplace accommodations Equip colleagues with confidence and knowledge to support persons with mental health conditions In May 2018, a WorkWell Leaders Workgroup comprising private and public sector leaders was formed to champion workplace wellbeing as a leadership priority. As its first collective action, the workgroup rallied employers to support the Beyond the Label campaign in the workplace on 10 October 2018, World Mental Health Day. These employers also pledged their commitment to the cause beyond the day. More teens call SOS about mental health problems, Singapore News Awareness of mental health issues such as depression is gaining among one group: teenagers. In two years, the number of teens who called a suicide hotline asking for help with their mental health problems has doubled. "Mental health problems highlighted by teens included depression and bipolar mood disorders," said Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) executive director Christine Wong. Last year, SOS received about 550 such calls from those aged 10 to 19, a fifth of the 2,680 calls from that age group - a sharp rise from the 244 in 2014, when there were 1,767 calls from people in that group.

Support for Individuals and Caregivers Support for Individuals and Caregivers As an individual living with a mental illness, social inclusion plays a central role in recovery. However, the lack of understanding about mental illness, compounded by the negative portrayals of the mentally ill in the media, often adds to the marginalisation of this misunderstood group. Without acceptance from the community, people with mental illness often face discrimination, lack social support, and find themselves isolated. It is therefore important to build the emotional resilience and find pillars of support at home, at work and in the community.

More struggling with alcohol abuse, but seeking help earlier, Health News A growing number of people here are struggling to cope with alcohol abuse, though more are seeking help for the condition earlier than was the case before, a nationwide mental health study has revealed. The second Singapore Mental Health Study, which was conducted in 2016, showed that in the six years that separated it from the first study, the issue had become more serious. Almost 13.9 per cent - or one in seven people here - admitted that they had experienced mental illness at some point in their life. This was an increase from the 12 per cent - or one in eight people - who said the same thing in the first study in 2010. Seeking Help For Mental Issues Can Be Affordable In Singapore Do you feel often sad and irritable? Have excessive anxieties? Are you unable to cope with everyday activities and problems? If these apply to you, do you have a mental health issue or are you just stressed out at school and work? We get it, it’s hard to draw that line for yourself, let alone coming to terms with the fact that you have a real mental problem before seeking help.

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. For example, alcohol abuse is more prevalent among the lower-educated, compared with those who have received tertiary education.

Getting Help - Over The Rainbow Child Guidance Clinic (CGC)Offers mental health and educational services for children and youths up to 19 years of age. Most patients are experiencing emotional and behavioural problems requiring professional intervention, not mental illnesses. Locations: Child Guidance Clinic (CGC), Health Promotion Board (HPB) Second Hospital Avenue, #03-01, Singapore 168937 Tel: 6389 2220 Email: hpb@imh.com.sg Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am–5pm Sunrise Wing, Child Guidance Clinic (CGC) Buangkok Green Medical Park (BGMP) Block 3, Basement 10, Buangkok View, Singapore 539747 Tel: 6389 2220 Email: imh_appt@imh.com.sg Hours: Mon-Thu, 8am–5:30pm; Fri, 8am-5pmÂ

‘Crazy, weird, scary’: Survey unveils negative labels youths associate with mental illness SINGAPORE — Researchers have called for regular and compulsory education on mental health for youths, in the wake of a study that found a large proportion of this group having misconceptions of mental illness. Almost half (44.5 per cent) of 940 teenage students polled attached negative and pejorative labels to people with mental illness. “Crazy”, “weird”, “scary”, “stupid” and “dangerous” were among the words that came to mind then the respondents heard the term “mental illness”, reported the study, which was presented at the Frontiers in Mental Health symposium organised by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Nanyang Technological University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine on Tuesday (March 6). Some 46.2 per cent of the respondents, who were aged between 14 and 18, also said they would be “very embarrassed” if they were diagnosed with a mental illness, while nearly a quarter (22.7 per cent) said they would not want others to know if their relative were mentally ill.

Considerable stigma against mental illness: Study SINGAPORE — An Institute of Mental Health (IMH) study has found a common perception here that those with mental illness can get better if they wanted to and that their condition is a sign of personal weakness. Researchers behind the study said this suggests “considerable” stigma towards individuals with mental illness. The stigma could hinder such individuals from seeking treatment out of fear of being associated with a disorder. The mental health literacy study spanning one year started in March last year and involved about 3,000 adult residents aged between 18 and 65. It examined how well people could recognise five common mental disorders — alcohol abuse, dementia, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia — and their beliefs towards these conditions. To measure stigma, researchers used scales to gauge people’s attitudes towards the individual suffering from a mental illness, as well as how willing they are to spend time with such persons.

Facing depression: Working adults battle not just demons, but also stigma SINGAPORE: Outwardly, his wife and two young sons are his sources of joy. He seems a regular family man when he's with them. What is less apparent is that Mr Mak Kean Loong struggles to feel emotions like happiness. “In the past few years, I think I’ve never even felt that emotion,” said the bespectacled 38-year-old, who speaks with the numbed air of a tired man. At first, they all thought he was “just becoming extra introverted”.

OCD one of the most common mental disorders in Singapore SINGAPORE: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of most common mental health conditions here, according to findings from a nationwide study released on Tuesday (Dec 11). The disorder affected one in 28 people in their lifetime, making it the third-most prevalent condition after major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse. The illness is commonly characterised by recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses or images, and when severe, impedes a person's ability to function. Younger people aged 18 to 34 were more likely to have the condition than those aged 50 and above, said researchers from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), citing the findings from the second Singapore Mental Health Study. The study also found that those who had a monthly household income of between S$2,000 and S$3,999 were less likely to have the condition than those with a household income of less than S$2,000.