SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SUICIDE RISKS

NOTICE PAPER NO. 115

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 14 OCTOBER 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Wan Rizal

MP for Jalan Besar GRC

Question No. 506

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what standard clinical pathways link schools and primary care to emergency departments for children and adolescents at imminent risk of self-harm; and (b) whether the Ministry will set coverage targets for gatekeeper training and pilot a 24/7 paediatric crisis line integrated with mobile crisis teams.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 113

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 15 OCTOBER 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Wan Rizal

MP for Jalan Besar GRC

Question No. 502

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health in respect of the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) study on increased warning signs in the week before suicides (a) whether these warning signs have been embedded into referral protocols for schools, general practitioner clinics and emergency departments; (b) what is the coverage of gatekeeper training among staff; and (c) whether time-to-first-clinical-contact KPIs will be established for school-initiated referrals.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 112

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 14 OCTOBER 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Wan Rizal

MP for Jalan Besar GRC

Question No. 324

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether standard operating procedures in schools and polyclinics incorporate the Institute of Mental Health’s (IMH) acute suicide warning sign framework; and (b) whether the Ministry can publish data on (i) the coverage of gatekeeper training and (ii) the median and 90th-percentile time from school alert to first clinical contact, after-hours escalations, and evaluation results.

Answer

1        Mr Speaker, my response will also address Written Question 17 in today's Order Paper and a similar PQ filed by Dr Wan Rizal for a subsequent sitting. If the questions have been satisfactorily addressed, it may not be necessary for the Member to proceed with the Question for future sittings.

2        Suicide is a complex phenomenon. Apart from warning signs, the assessment of suicide risk takes into account individuals’ thoughts and behaviours. These are incorporated into the Practice Guide for the Tiered Care Model for Mental Health which guides mental health service providers on how to assess suicide risks and determine the appropriate follow-up actions.

3        Like other mental health service providers, school counsellors are trained to conduct suicide risk assessments. Students at imminent risk are directed to hospital emergency departments, while those with non-imminent risk are referred to the Response, Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health (REACH) teams for further assessment and intervention. MOH and MOE do not currently track the data from school alert to first clinical contact.

4        The national mindline 1771 serves individuals of all age groups, including children and youths, by providing brief counselling and referrals to other mental health services where needed, including crisis response teams.

5        Frontline personnel and volunteers in various sectors have access to basic mental health training to help identify individuals in psychological distress and refer them for further support. As of March 2025, about 140,000 frontliners have been trained.

6        MOH will continue to work with relevant agencies to work on ensuring timely support of individuals with suicide risks.