Many doctors, polyclinics trained to provide mental health services for the country

EASY ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

Family doctor Mark Yap said that by bringing such services closer to people’s families, those with mental health problems can feel encouraged to seek help.

Patients can feel more comfortable at the clinic, as opposed to going to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), which can cause anxiety about rejection, Dr Yap added.

A GP, who works at Cashew Medical and Surgery in Bukit Panjang, said: “By separating it, by having doctors as partners, it will go a long way in reducing mental health and allowing more patients to seek help in time.” the right one.”

Professor Swapna Verma says building community mental health services is important as early detection and intervention can lead to prevention.

“Early intervention makes a big difference in recovery,” the IMH medical board chairman told CNA’s Singapore Tonight program.

“By making care more accessible and convenient, people will seek help sooner, and that will prevent their condition from getting worse … and prevent them from needing to go in.” hospital or special care.”

PUBLIC AWARENESS

Additionally, people at risk of developing mental health conditions can turn to community groups for support.

For those who develop moderate symptoms, GPs will work with community intervention teams to provide assessment, psychotherapy, counseling and treatment.

By 2030, the Ministry of Health (MOH) aims to expand the number of activity groups and tourism groups to 90 and 50 respectively, including 15 groups for young people.

Among the many social service organizations involved in such social projects is the Singapore Association of Mental Health (SAMH).

The non-profit organization conducts public education and mental health outreach activities, and provides online and on-site counseling in nine locations in Singapore.

One of its innovative therapeutic intervention programs is art therapy, where participants express and process their thoughts and feelings through art.

The SAMH Space2Connect center off Maude Road is currently hosting an exhibition featuring unique portraits from 12 young people about how cultural and childhood experiences have affected their mental health.

The organization’s executive director Ngo Lee Yian said the young people spent three months doing art activities, led by program directors trained in art therapy.

He said: “They try to remember the things they remember, how they went through their childhood, and they created different artistic ways to express themselves.

STOP MENTAL HEALTH

At least one in seven people in Singapore has experienced a mental health problem, according to the MOH’s last mental health survey in 2016.

The most common mental health problems in Singapore include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Assoc Prof Verma says there is concern over the prevalence of mental illness, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among the youth.

“Sometimes people still consider it a personal weakness, or they feel that patients with mental illness are dangerous. That causes a lot of stigma. “A person with a mental illness is now worried about how society views him, and he delays seeking help,” he said.

He added that awareness is important to help with early detection.

By improving mental health literacy in young people and parents, they will be able to spot symptoms in their family members or peers, and encourage them to seek help.

“With knowledge comes understanding and acceptance. We need a society with more mental health knowledge, (that) will be understanding and inclusive of all people,” said Assoc Prof Verma.

The MOH said it will continue to work on mental health initiatives to build resilience among young people, establish first touch points, and address mental health issues in the workplace.