Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Regional Congress of World Federation for Mental Health

Professor George N. Christodoulou, President, World Federation for Mental Health and board members
Dr Lee Cheng, President, Silver Ribbon (Singapore) and team
Prof Graeme Britton, Vice President of Raffles University System;
Mr Ong Kai How, Vice President for Singapore Operations of Raffles College of Higher Education and team
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning,

I am very happy to join you at the launch of the Regional Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health, co-organised by Silver Ribbon (Singapore) and Raffles College of Higher Education. October is the month of the World Mental Health Day, so let me start by taking this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of our healthcare institutions, voluntary welfare organisations, caregivers and volunteers in mental health promotion and advocacy.

Importance of Mental Health

2. Mental health is central to the health and wellness of our population and enables us lead active and meaningful lives.

3. There is growing recognition worldwide of the importance of mental health. Since the early 1990s, many countries have introduced programmes to enhance access to mental health services; to strengthen integration of mental health services between the specialist, primary care, and community care settings; and to promote social integration of persons with mental illness, all aimed at improving care and reducing the stigma of mental patients¹²³.

4. Mental health is a key priority for Singapore as well. In 2007, the first National Mental Health Blueprint was developed to promote mental wellness, and improve access, coordination, and ensure quality of mental health services. This was followed by the Community Mental Health Masterplan in 2012, which complemented the Blueprint and focused on the strategy to engage community support for persons with mental illness.

5. Singapore’s approach to mental health is anchored in five key strategies.

6. First, we aim to help our population maintain a healthy and happy mind. The Health Promotion Board has introduced a suite of initiatives to educate and equip the public with knowledge and skills, and to support them when they need to seek help and treatment. Some examples are Star Factor in schools, On the Edge for institutes of higher learning, and the Nurture Your Mind programme for older adults. These programmes aim to impart skills in our people and build positive support networks, which can be tapped on throughout one’s life journey and during difficult times.

7. Second, we put in place initiatives to facilitate early detection and intervention of mental health conditions. Very often, family, friends and the community are the first to detect symptoms of mental illness. To support early recognition of mental illness and raise awareness of services available for patients to seek help from, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has set up Community Resource, Engagement and Support Teams. They provide outreach and education for residents and their caregivers on mental health issues, and where necessary, facilitate timely linkages to the appropriate mental health care networks. The services of these outreach teams will be further extended to cover the entire Singapore, in the next few years.

8. Third, we seek to develop mental health capabilities in the primary care and community sectors to better support patients in the community. Primary care plays an essential role in managing clients with mild and moderate conditions as well as those with both physical and mental health conditions (e.g. diabetes with depression). By supporting primary care physicians to manage mental health client, these clients can seek early treatment and receive care nearer their homes, in a less stigmatising environment. To complement the doctors’ treatment, we will be increasing the number of community-based allied-health teams, consisting of psychologists, medical social workers, and occupational therapists to provide counselling and education on lifestyle modification or self-management strategies. The primary care doctors and the community teams are also supported by specialist-led teams from the hospitals who will provide clinical advice and training as well as community-based allied health services. MOH hopes to partner some 120 GPs by 2017 to be part of a network to support community mental health services.

9. Fourth, we are integrating care between care settings to provide seamless care for mental health patients. A key thrust of our work is to strengthen partnerships between providers in different care settings so that clients can be cared for seamlessly. For instance, IMH provides phone call reminders for patients who have more severe mental illness, to follow up on the treatment prescribed, after their discharge from IMH. In addition, to ensure the continuation of care and prevent the incidence of relapse, AIC works with VWOs, to provide longer term psychosocial support for these patients. IMH has also set up a 24-hour Mental Health Helpline to support persons in the community who may be facing mental health crises, so that they can receive immediate support.

10. Finally, we are enhancing social support for mental health patients in the community. Mental health patients and their caregivers need a lot of support and encouragement. AIC, together with VWOs, public agencies, social service agencies and the restructured hospitals such as Institute of Mental Health (IMH), have formed Local Community Support Networks to help identify care needs in the community, and support residents with mental health conditions. Through training and discussions, these networks enable the community partners, including grassroots leaders, social service agencies, and VWOs, to better respond to mental health patients. More than 600 grassroots leaders and volunteers have been trained to date, and we hope to expand the network.

11. Apart from community networks, we have also seen ground-driven initiatives offering social support to elderly patients and their caregivers. One such example is the Happy Kopitiam set up by Montfort Care. This programme offers caregiver education, and respite care. It also encourages caregivers to engage in the centre activities together with the clients. We hope to partner more VWOs to evolve innovative approaches, in supporting our clients and their caregivers in the community.

Conclusion

12. We hope to do more to advance mental health. I would like to welcome the speakers and overseas delegates who are here to join us at this meaningful event. This regional congress will provide an excellent opportunity for you to forge relationships and partnerships as it brings together the community and practitioners in the Asia Pacific region to discuss the latest practices, techniques, and innovations in mental health. The partnerships and collaborations between the various stakeholders such as the healthcare professionals, service users, caregivers, and the larger community, is key to ensuring that community mental health and wellness initiatives are effective, helpful and sustainable.

13. If we work together, we can break new ground in developing health programmes and services for the betterment of our community. With this, I declare the Regional Congress of World Federation for Mental Health officially open. Thank you.

1 2012. Rising to the Challenge: The Mental Health and Addiction Service Development Plan 2012–2017. Wellington: Ministry of Health.

2 2009. Fourth National Mental Health Plan: An Agenda for Collaborative Government Action in Mental Health 2009-2014. Department of Health (Australia).

3 2010. Hospital Authority Mental Health Service Plan for Adults, 2010-2015. Hong Kong: Hospital Authority.
Singapore’s Mental Health Strategy