Speech by Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, at the Singapore Mental Health Conference 2017, 8 September 2017

Associate Professor Chua Hong Choon,

Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Mental Health and Co-Chairperson, Singapore Mental Health Conference 2017 Advisory Committee,

Ms Chia Siok Hoon,

Deputy Director, Mental Health Education Department, Preventive Health Programmes Division, Health Promotion Board, and Co-Chairperson, Singapore Mental Health Conference 2017 Organising Committee,

Mr Hsieh Fu Hua,

President, National Council of Social Service,

Mr Sim Gim Guan,

CEO, National Council of Social Service,

Dr Tan Weng Mooi,

Chief, Community Mental Health Division, Agency for Integrated Care,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen 

1.    Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you at this year’s Singapore Mental Health Conference. It is heartening to see conversations on mental health pick up momentum across both health and social sectors. I will touch on 3 key areas:

        1. Mental Resilience and Well-being (Beyond Healthcare to Health)

        2. Building Support in the Community (Beyond Hospitals to Community)

        3. Reintegrating Persons with Mental Health Conditions into the Community

Mental Resilience and Well-being (Beyond Healthcare to Health)

2.    The theme of this year’s conference, "the Art and Science of Well-being and Happiness", reminds us that mental well-being is essential to our overall health. It strengthens our ability to have healthy relationships, make meaningful choices, and have a good quality of life. Mental resilience is a key component of mental well-being - it empowers and allows us to deal with the stresses and challenges of everyday life. Poor mental health, can make us more vulnerable to illnesses. It is important to build mental resilience within our population and this is aligned with the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s emphasis on moving beyond healthcare to health.

3.    Part of building mental health resilience involves raising public awareness of mental health conditions and coping skills, as well as providing information on where they can seek care. Building mental wellbeing also involves creating inclusive communities where people with mental health conditions are empowered to live safely and confidently within their communities.

4.    MOH has implemented various outreach programmes to bolster mental resilience within the community and encourage acceptance and understanding of persons with mental health conditions. For example, 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 advice if required. An online portal is also available, where youths can access information or make appointments to seek help. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has introduced psycho-emotional programmes in schools to equip youth with skills to better manage stress and cope with changes when they transition to their next phase in life. Capacity building programmes are available for counsellors, teachers, parents and peer supporters to ensure that they can support the mental health needs of those under their care. In addition, stress management messages have been incorporated into activity-based workshops held in workplaces to help working adults better manage stress and build their resilience. Managers and human resource personnel can also attend workshops on how to recognise common mental health issues. To promote healthy ageing, HPB works closely with community partners as part of its dementia public education efforts, which include on-ground activities to empower seniors to take charge of their own mental health.

Building Support in the Community (Beyond Hospitals to Community)

5.    Primary care is usually a first point of contact for many persons in the community to access care. Integrating mental health services within primary care will therefore allow the largest number of people to access the service in a setting that minimises stigma and discrimination, thereby reducing the barriers to seeking treatment and providing an opportunity for early identification and intervention.

6.    We are increasing the number of mental health and dementia clinics in polyclinics. By 2021, we aim for one in two polyclinics to operate these clinics which will be run by family physicians with support from mental health and dementia specialists from partner hospitals. We are also expanding the Mental Health GP Partnership Programme (MHGPP) where IMH and acute hospitals partner General Practitioners (GPs) and Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs) in their regions to manage patients with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders. Over 120 GPs have joined the MHGPP programme, to provide integrated care for patients with mental health conditions. By 2021, we aim to increase the number of MHGPP partners to 180.

7.    Earlier this year, MOH announced that the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) will expand the number of community outreach teams from the current 18 to 50 teams by 2021. Over the last 5 years, the community outreach teams have reached out to over 90,000 residents. Besides raising awareness of mental health conditions and identifying those at risk, outreach activities also include health promotion and preventive care like healthy eating, exercise and brain stimulating activities and encouraging seniors to be socially active through hobbies and interest groups.

8.    Two of the beneficiaries are Marina and her mother, Angela. Marina is a housewife, and a caregiver to her 78-year old mother, Angela, who was going through a season of grief and loss over her husband’s demise. Angela joined Fei Yue CREST as a member and through attending the enriching wellness activities and fostering new friendships at the centre, she is happier now. The team kept Marina updated on Angela’s condition and explored ways to support both Marina and her mother, decreasing her caregiver stress level. Marina was also touched by the support shown by the staff through her mother’s grieving process, and that spurred her desire to give back to the community. Marina is now an active CREST member who participates in various centre-based programmes. She hopes to befriend and be an emotional support to other fellow members as how her mother and herself have been supported.

9.    AIC will also increase the number of allied health community intervention teams from 14 to 18 by 2021, to support GPs, community and grassroots organisations in caring for persons with mental health conditions. Working closely with health and social care partners through the integrated mental health networks facilitated by AIC, these community intervention teams supported close to 7,000 clients in the community.

Reintegrating Persons with Mental Health Conditions into the Community

10.    Beyond building support in the community, we also want to assist the reintegration of persons with mental health conditions into the community. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) conducted a study last year on the quality of life of vulnerable groups in Singapore, which included seniors as well as those with mental health conditions or disabilities. The findings showed that social inclusion and participation had the greatest impact on improving the quality of life of persons surveyed, and that many of those recovering from mental health conditions wanted to work. Working can improve our well-being by increasing our confidence and self-esteem. As such, NCSS, has partnered Singapore Anglican Community Services to implement an inclusive workplace programme, which provides support and reaches out to employees, and encourages those with risk factors to seek help early. In addition, companies are advised on how to facilitate an inclusive and supportive work environment.

11.    To help individuals live with dignity in a caring and inclusive society, NCSS, together with other social service agencies, has also recently co-developed the Social Service Sector Strategic Thrusts (4ST). The 4ST are guided by a person-centred and holistic approach towards advancing the Quality of Life for individuals. Through this, they have been championing the needs of persons with mental health issues through various platforms such as public education and employment programmes, promoting social acceptance and inclusion of persons with mental health issues and to empower them in their recovery journey.

Conclusion

12.    Everyone has a part to play in promoting mental well-being. To the persons with mental health conditions and their caregivers, I applaud your bravery and dedication in confronting this condition, and making the most out of every day. To the mental health professionals and practitioners, your passion and commitment to your patients and field of mental health has enabled you to make a difference in the lives of many. To all conference participants, I hope that this conference will spur meaningful dialogues that help us better serve the community. Let us all work towards a more inclusive society that encourages acceptance and understanding of persons with mental health conditions.

13.    On that note, I wish everyone a fruitful conference. Thank you.