Speech by Dr Lam Pin Min, Minister of State for Health, at the 2nd Asia Pacific Conference & Meeting on Mental Health, 6 October 2016

Dr Lee Cheng, President, Silver Ribbon Singapore
Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef, Conference Advisor and MP for Marine Parade GRC
Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

A very good morning to all of you. 

1.            It is my pleasure to join you today for the 2nd Asia Pacific Conference and Meeting on Mental Health, held in commemoration of World Mental Health Day 2016 and Silver Ribbon’s 10th Anniversary. I would also like to welcome all local and overseas speakers and delegates to Singapore. 

2.            This year’s conference theme, “Together We Can Do So Much More”, holds much meaning. As Aristotle said, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. It takes much more than just the healthcare system to promote mental wellness and recovery. We need the support of family, neighbours and grassroots partners who can look out for one another, and for communities such as in the workplaces and schools to work together to foster a more resilient population.

MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION AND OUTREACH

3.            The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined mental health as a state of wellbeing which enables us to be resilient to the everyday stresses of life, and participate meaningfully and actively in our preferred roles. Mental wellbeing is a significant requisite for the enjoyment of life and an important goal for every community. However, there remains much stigma and misconceptions about mental illness, limiting people with mental illness from being able to actively participate in meaningful activities in the community. Such rejection in society is also often felt by the caregivers and family members.

4.            As one of our partners in combatting the stigma of mental illness and in encouraging early intervention, I am glad that Silver Ribbon Singapore has implemented various outreach services and mental health promotion programmes. These include mental wellness workshops, seminars and conferences tailored for the general public, health screenings at local community clubs, outreach events at *SCAPE, as well as raising awareness of mental health through social media such as Facebook. I hope Silver Ribbon Singapore will continue your good work in advocating for, and promoting mental health.

5.            Apart from mental health promotion, Silver Ribbon Singapore is also one of the Community Resource, Engagement & Support Teams, or CREST for short, set up by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) under the Community Mental Health Masterplan since 2012. The CREST serves as a community safety network for people with, or who are at risk of developing mental illnesses or dementia. The teams provide linkages to mental health services, and also render support to caregivers, so that the persons with mental illness or dementia can be supported to continue staying in the community. To date, 14 CREST teams have been set up across the island, reaching out to and supporting over 2,500 clients. AIC is working to increase these teams to make available more access points where people can be encouraged to come forward and seek help.

SUPPORT AND REHABILITATION IN THE COMMUNITY

6.            To support early recognition of mental illness and raise awareness of services available for persons to seek help from, the AIC and Institute of Mental Health (IMH) have been collaborating with community partners to develop a Local Community Support Network. These partners include social service agencies, VWOs such as Silver Ribbon Singapore, Singapore Association of Mental Health, and the Singapore Anglican Community Services. This network provides the platform for training and transfer of clinical knowledge and skills. Such efforts empower the various agencies in the community to work together, to better support at-risk residents and persons with mental illness to recover within familiar environments of their community and homes.

7.            For persons who require rehabilitation and support at home after an episode of mental illness, I am heartened that VWOs such as the Singapore Anglican Community Services and Club Heal have come on board the community-based support teams, to visit these patients’ homes, rendering psychosocial rehabilitation and coordination of care. Such ongoing support and monitoring of care in the community are crucial in empowering patients to recover, and maintain health and wellbeing outside the hospital setting.

MENTAL HEALTH FOR YOUTH

8.            The onset of mental illness often occurs during youth, a phase in life when the person undergoes crucial psychological and social development. Early detection and intervention of emerging disorders is thus important in modifying the trajectories of illness, and reducing the need for inpatient treatment later on. Under the National Mental Health Blueprint, the Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) has a professional team located at *SCAPE which reaches out to youths on mental health issues and provide avenues for help-seeking. The team has also developed an online portal¹, where youths can access resources on mental health, or make appointments for mental health assessments.

9.            The Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) is another programme under the Blueprint, launched by Institute of Mental Health (IMH), which aims to detect and treat psychosis at an early stage to improve outcomes. EPIP provides individualised case management, psychotherapy and support groups for individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who have been newly diagnosed with First Episode Psychosis. EPIP also aims to raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of psychosis, and establishes strong links with partners such as general practitioners (GPs) and other healthcare institutions which would identify and refer cases to EPIP for further assessment.

10.            I am pleased to find out that there are some student representatives from the local universities in our midst today, who will be sharing their experience in promoting mental health awareness and leading peer support programmes at their respective universities. Beyond tapping on healthcare services, such ground up initiatives can also play a role in instilling a sense of support for students facing emotional challenges.

11.            A NurtureSG Taskforce that is led by myself and Minister of State for Education Dr Janil Puthucheary has been set up to look at enhancing the overall health outcomes of children and youth from a holistic manner. This would build a strong foundation for better health among our children and youth, to prepare them to lead healthier, longer lives. One key area of concern identified by the taskforce is the mental wellbeing and resilience of our young. We recognise the importance of our children and youth to be resilient enough to handle the daily stressors of life. The taskforce aims to provide its recommendations by next year.

CONCLUSION

12.            To the mental health professionals and practitioners, your dedication and commitment has enabled you to touch the lives of many people. I wish you every success as you continue to dedicate yourselves in mental health promotion and advocacy.

13.            To all conference participants, I would like to highlight the importance of close collaboration and partnership amongst all stakeholders in identifying and addressing gaps, in order to serve the community better. Together, we can do so much more!

14.            With this, I declare the 2nd Asia Pacific Conference and Meeting on Mental Health Regional Congress officially open. Thank you.