Speech by Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the Brahm Centre Charity Dinner, 7 September 2017

Professor Joe Loizzo,

Founder of Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science and author of Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy and Sustainable Happiness 

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen 

A very good evening to all.

Introduction

1       It is my pleasure to join you this evening as the Brahm Centre celebrates its fifth anniversary.  The theme of this evening’s Charity dinner is ‘The Science of Sustainable Happiness’. Sustained happiness is closely related to mental health and well-being. For far too long, mental health and well-being have been thought of in terms of an absence of mental illness. According to the World Health Organization, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” 

2       In line with this, there have been efforts to shift the national conversation to view mental health in a more positive and inclusive light.  One example is the ‘Speak Up’ campaign, a public education effort launched by the National Council of Social Services (NCSS) in October 2016 to coincide with World Mental Health day.  It formed part of NCSS’ push for the acceptance and inclusion of persons with mental health conditions in society. The campaign aimed to encourage persons with mental health issues to speak about their condition and seek help to start their recovery journey.  It also demonstrated the importance of acceptance and support for persons with mental health issues, and encouraged the public to approach them with non-stigmatising attitudes and supportive behaviours.  The digital campaign ran in October 2016 and was well received by the public, with the three videos produced generating over two million views. 

Mental Well-being and Physical Health 

3       We hope that such efforts will spark more conversations and future efforts to promote mental health and well-being in Singapore. This is important especially since studies have shown a strong correlation between mental well-being and physical health. Persons with chronic medical conditions are more vulnerable to developing mental health issues and vice versa. It is also important to ensure early identification and holistic care for persons with mental health conditions. 

4       As such, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been working towards integrating mental healthcare with physical healthcare in Singapore, to provide holistic care for persons with mental health conditions in the community. We have enhanced the Community Mental Health Masterplan to further strengthen community mental health services over the next five years. 

Efforts to Support Persons with Mental Health Conditions 

5       We have adopted a multi-pronged approach to make care more accessible for patients who have mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders and insomnia.  First, we are expanding mental health and dementia clinics at polyclinics.  We target to have one in two polyclinics to implement mental health clinics by 2021.  Patients at these clinics will be holistically cared for by multidisciplinary teams. In addition, the teams would also identify and support caregivers who are experiencing caregiver stress in caring for their loved ones with mental health conditions or dementia. 

6       Second, besides polyclinics, we are also looking at partnering GPs in Primary Care Networks to roll out similar team-based care for patients and their caregivers.  Third, we will continue to support GPs to manage patients with mental health conditions through the Mental Health General Practitioner Partnership programme. Under this programme, we support GPs with access to a case coordinator who assists with referrals to community teams, and specialist support to build their capability so that they can identify mental health conditions early and care for their patients holistically. This is important as patients would have built up relationships with their family doctors and we want to support such continuity of care. To date, we have over 120 GPs in the programme and we hope to partner more GPs. 

Brahm Centre’s Contributions to Mental Health 

7       Brahm Centre is a key partner in our community mental health efforts and has played an important role in helping to create an inclusive community through their programmes, which focus on positive mental well-being, and supporting people within the community who are at risk or already have mental health conditions. Through various programmes and services, such as mindfulness workshops, Brahm Centre has positively impacted the lives of over 20,000 persons within a short span of five years. 

8       Brahm Centre has also partnered MOH in the Community Resource, Engagement and Support Team, or known as CREST for short. CREST serves as a community safety network for people at risk of depression, dementia and other mental health conditions. These teams also provide emotional support to caregivers with resources they need to continue to care for their loved ones at home and in the community. I am pleased to know that Brahm Centre will be opening its second centre in Simei in October 2017, which will extend their services and outreach to the eastern part of Singapore. 

Conclusion 

9       In closing, I would like to thank Brahm Centre and its volunteers for your dedication and contributions in actively promoting happier and healthier living within the community. I look forward to Brahm Centre’s continued contributions in helping to develop positive mental well-being in Singapore. 

10     Thank you, and I wish everyone a happy and pleasant evening.