Speech By Dr Amy Khor at the`Mind Your Head: Mental Wellness And Resilience For Youths’ Forum, 19 November 2016

Ms Malathi Das, President Zonta Club of Singapore,
Mr Delane Lim, Founder of Future Ready,
Dr June Goh, President, Singapore Council of Women Organisations (SCWO),
Members of the Zonta Club of Singapore,

Ladies and Gentlemen  

Good morning. 

1.     I am pleased to join everyone at Zonta Club’s 3^rd Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Forum. The theme of today’s forum, ‘Mental Wellness and Resilience for Youths’, highlights the importance of building resilience in our youths to help them cope with the stresses of growing up in a rapidly changing world.

Achieving good mental health

2.    Mental health is just as important as physical health. It enables us to be resilient to the everyday stresses of life, and participate meaningfully and actively in our various roles. Without good mental health, we would find it hard to face stressful situations. Poor mental health may also have a negative impact on our physical health, and increase our risk of certain conditions such as heart disease.

3.    One key way to achieve good mental health is to build mental resilience, which empowers us to cope better with pressure and pain, while maintaining optimism and positivity.  Another way is to seek help and support when necessary, to prevent the development of more severe mental health issues. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it takes tremendous courage to admit that we need support, and reach out for help.

Government-led programmes to build mental resilience

4.    Youth is an important phase of life where we undergo crucial psychological and social development, with a lifelong impact. Teenage years can be a difficult time when young people struggle with issues of identity and belonging. Prevention, and early detection and intervention for mental illness, are critical to help our youths develop healthily, both physically and mentally.

5.    According to data by Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), there was a significant rise in suicides last year for youths aged 10 to 19 years old, compared to the year before. Every life lost through suicide is one too many, and everyone can and should play our part to prevent more of such cases.

6.    To empower our youths to stay mentally strong, various governmental agencies have pioneered initiatives to build up mental resilience in youths, and help those with mental health issues. As part of Character and Citizenship lessons, coping strategies, as well as relevant social and emotional skills, are taught in school. Peer support is encouraged and students are educated to look out for their peers, and seek help from trusted adults around them, such as their school counsellors, when in distress.

7.    There are also community services available for our youths. The Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) is a national outreach and mental health check programme which aims to prevent the development of mental illness before symptoms become severe. Youths can drop by the CHAT Hub at SCAPE, a one-stop centre for mental health help, to pick up information about mental health and talk to trained professionals about any questions they may have. To better engage youths who may not be as comfortable with face-to-face interaction, the team has also developed an online portal, where youths can access mental health resources, or make appointments for assessment. 

8.    We recognise that schools are important platforms to reach out to students who may need emotional support, and we want to equip schools with mental health expertise. Since 2007, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health have established the Response, Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health (REACH) programme, which provides training and support to schools, Family Service Centres and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to help them better identify, manage and, if necessary, refer those with severe emotional and behavioural problems to the team for further treatment.

Community initiatives to complement government efforts 

9.    However, the Government cannot promote good mental health alone. We need a whole-of-society approach is required to help build mental resilience in our people. To that end, the social sector has initiated many programmes, such as direct and indirect intervention strategies, to reach out to those at risk.

10.    It is encouraging to see ground-driven initiatives from volunteer groups such as the Zonta Club of Singapore and Future Ready Asia that promote mental resilience and wellbeing in our youths. I understand that Zonta Club has engaged key stakeholders such as parents, counsellors and student leaders, and is using various means, such as videos, music, exercise and social media platforms, to raise awareness of youth mental health. Today’s forum is also useful in gathering youths to come together to share about the challenges they face, and coping strategies they have found to be useful.

Conclusion

11.    All of us have a part to play in promoting good mental health for youths in Singapore. Let us continue to work together to support those who have had to experience first-hand the challenges and stresses of life, and to empower those who wish to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to help others to do so.  

12.    I wish everyone a fruitful and fulfilling forum discussion ahead. Thank you.