ISSUES IN THE
Mental Health
Space in Singapore
Key insights to guide your giving
Access to Treatment
of migrant workers in Singapore facing injury claims and salary disputes have a serious mental illness.1
Almost
.
Why Should you care
While Singapore’s health system is largely accessible, some groups fall through the cracks when it comes to accessing treatment due to structural or cultural barriers. These include vulnerable groups such as migrant workers, and even those who are not traditionally seen as vulnerable such as mothers with pre- and post-natal depression.
Migrant Workers’ Mental Health
The key structural barriers that impede access to mental health treatment and health services include financial barriers and one’s residency status. Those at the intersection of both factors, such as the migrant workers and foreign spouses, are doubly marginalized as many healthcare subsidies and schemes are dependent on citizenship status.4
Migrant workers are particularly prone to mental health conditions—which stands in sharp irony against their relatively low mental health literacy. The physically demanding nature of their work often result in psychosomatic symptoms, on top of the risk for illness and injury. Often unaware about their healthcare financing options, they experience even more psychological distress due to (both real and perceived) financial barriers to healthcare, which further reduces their health-seeking behaviour.2 Lastly, many incur massive debts to finance their migration to Singapore which gives rise to constant emotional burden.1
Maternal Mental Health
While services are available, many mothers are not aware if their condition is “severe” enough to receive treatment and shy away from treatment due to stigma and fears of not being able to be a “good mother”. The lack of support from those around them is also a major impediment towards seeking timely intervention. This carries a ripple effect as studies have found a strong correlation between mothers who demonstrate depressive or anxiety related symptoms during pregnancy, and their children developing mood disorders later in life.3
What are the existing forms of support
The COVID-19 situation and its severe impact on migrant workers’ mental health has led to a greater multi-stakeholder commitment towards providing better access to mental healthcare for migrant workers through more activities that ensure mental wellbeing and provision of help and counselling.6
A new division under the Ministry of Manpower, the Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group has been recently set up. Part of their mandate is to ensure a comprehensive medical support plan and provide more accessible health services for migrant workers.
What more could be done
How you could help
Support migrant workers through existing migrant worker wellness programmes run by Healthserve and Humanitarian Organisation of Migrant Economics (HOME). Help fund their programmes through Giving.sg.
For new mothers or mothers-to-be, pay attention to those around you and recognise those who might be struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Encourage them to seek timely treatment where necessary. You can refer them to appropriate maternal community mental health services. Clarity Singapore works with hospitals such as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to reach out to mothers struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. They also provide a hotline for mothers seeking counselling services.
1 Harrigan, N. and CY Koh. (2015). Vital yet vulnerable: Mental and emotional health of South Asian migrant Workers in Singapore. Lien Centre for Social Innovation Social Insight Research Series, Singapore Management University.
2 Ang, J.W., Chia C., Koh, C.J., Chua, B.W., Narayanaswamy, S., Wijaya, L. Chan, G., Goh, W.L., & Vasoo, S. (2017). Healthcare-seeking behaviour, barriers and mental health of non-domestic migrant workers in Singapore. BMJ Global Health, 2(2).
3 Tan, S.H. (2018, December 05). Key findings from 10-year study on maternal health. CNA.
4 Chiu, MY., Ghoh, C., Chung, G., & Choi, K.P. (2019). Multistressed families in Singapore: A focus on transnational families. Children and Youth Services Review, 101, 372-382.
5 Umboh, S.J., How, C.H., & Chen, H (2013). Postnatal depression: a family medicine perspective. Singapore Med J, 54(9), 477-481.
6 Goh, T. (2020, Aug 07). Steps to better support migrant workers’ mental, physical health. The Straits Times.
7 Ang, J.W., Koh, C.J., Chua, B.W., Narayanaswamy, S., Wijaya, L., Chan, L.G., Soh, L.L., Goh, W.L., & Vasoo, S. (2019). Are migrant workers in Singapore receiving adequate healthcare? A survey of doctors working in public tertiary healthcare institutions. Singapore medical journal, 10.
Persons living with Dementia
1 out of 10 seniors in Singapore have dementia.1
persons with dementia feel rejection and loneliness, and more than 1 in 2 feel that others act as if they are less competent due to their condition.3
Why Should you care
Dementia is a condition that causes progressive intellectual decline leading to increasing difficulties in coping with everyday activities. It is not a part of normal aging.
Although it is usually prevalent in those who are older in age, there is a growing number of individuals living with young or early onset dementia. In 2016, the National Neuroscience Institute found a 5-fold increase over 5 years in the number of patients with young onset dementia, which affects those aged 65 and below.
Despite its prevalence and efforts by the community and government to change perceptions of dementia, 57% of the general public reported in a 2018 study that they did not know much about dementia.4
What are the existing forms of support
Dementia services have been set up in 14 polyclinics and over 210 general practitioners are prepared to diagnose and support persons living with dementia.5
The Agency for Integrated Care has developed the “Dementia-Friendly Singapore” initiative to support the development of dementia-friendly communities, which aims to allow persons with dementia and their families to feel respected, valued and able to continue leading independent lives at home and in the community. This is done through developing dementia awareness, setting up “go-to points” in the community, leveraging technology to support persons living with dementia and creating physical infrastructure which supports persons living with dementia.6
What more can be done
There is also a need to change perceptions about persons living with dementia and seeing them as persons who are more than just their illness.
What you could do
Support community programmes for persons living with dementia such as day care and interactive activities, and those aimed at their caregivers such as respite care and support network. Find out the full range of services for persons with dementia here, as well as the financial support available. There are also awareness campaigns such as #DespiteDementia by ADA that aims to tackle the stigma faced by persons living with dementia and caregivers.
Be a Dementia Friend and support Dementia-Friendly Communities. The Dementia Friends mobile app (iOS, Android) helps you to learn more about dementia, how to communicate with persons with dementia and keep a look out for them in your community. It is also helpful to equip yourself with general caregiving knowledge through this Guide to Caring for Persons with Dementia (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4) or the Caregivers’ Guide for Persons with Dementia who Wander.
If you are a company, support the Therapy Through Work initiative by Apex Harmony Lodge which targets persons with young or early onset dementia. The therapy through work initiative aims to provide the therapeutic effect with ‘Work’ as a medium for persons with young or early onset dementia who still find work meaningful and enriching them to live their pre-dementia life as much as possible.
1 Institute of Mental Health (2015, March 25). Study establishes prevalence of dementia among older adults in Singapore [Media Release].
2 Institute of Mental Health (2015, March 25). Study establishes prevalence of dementia among older adults in Singapore [Media Release].
3 Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Singapore (2017). Profiling the Dementia Family Carer in Singapore.
5 Ministry of Health (2020). Providing Accessible, Affordable and Good Quality Healthcare.
6 Agency for Integrated Care (n.d.). Dementia-Friendly Singapore.
7 Department of Statistics Singapore (n.d.). Old-age Support Ratio.
Employment of persons with mental health conditions
Employers reported higher perceived costs than actual costs
for implementing workplace adjustments that will support the hiring of those in recovery.1
Why Should you care
Challenges due to the mental health condition, self-perception, the perception of employers and the fear of the condition being disclosed serve as barriers that restrict persons with mental health conditions from being employed. Stigma faced by those who disclose their conditions to unsupportive employers or colleagues further reduce one’s individual self-esteem and self-efficacy, as well as diminish one’s motivation to apply for future job roles.
In reality, a survey by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) found that every $1 invested in workplace adjustment to accommodate persons with mental health conditions such as providing access to counselling, flexi-work arrangements and job redesign generated an average of $5.60 in returns.1 This extends to other benefits such as reduction in absenteeism, reduction in medical claims and increase in average working hours per employee per week.
What are the existing forms of support
In 2019, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices added in their guidelines that companies should not ask job applicants to declare their mental health condition unless it is a job-related requirement. This is a great stride towards a greater inclusion for those with mental health conditions.
NCSS Project H.I.R.E. (Help Integrate Recovering persons with mental health issues through Employment) seeks to increase employment opportunities for those in recovery and empower them to live meaningful lives. Through partnering with the people, private and public sector, their pilot programmes help to enhance the job readiness of those in recovery, provide workplace support to employees with or at risk of a mental health issue as well as training and advisory to companies.2
What more could be done
While there are service providers who provide skills and therapy to persons recovering from mental health conditions, there is a lack of job placement opportunities for them.
For those who are employed, there are further retention challenges. Often, executive-level decisions to be inclusive are not reinforced by consistent messaging and support at staff level. This makes it challenging for staff who work directly with people with mental health conditions in their day-to-day operations.
How you could help
If you are a human resource professional or the owner of a company, consider providing job placement and vocational training opportunities for persons in recovery. IMH Job Club@Octave provides rehabilitation and skills, as well as job placements, for recovering persons with mental health condition. They also provide training for employers to educate them on how to engage with staff in recovery from mental health conditions. Likewise, the Singapore Anglican Community Services Integrated Employment Services provides a wide range of employment services to support persons with mental health conditions to gain and sustain employment.
In the same vein, SAMH MINDSET Learning Hub (a collaboration between the Jardine Matheson Group of companies, MINDSET Care Limited and Singapore Association for Mental Health) provides integrated vocational rehabilitation service for person in recovery from mental health issues. This includes illness management, recovery and employability skills.
To go one step further, institutionalise your support by revising your employment policy to be more inclusive for persons with mental health condition, for example by removing the clause to declare mental health conditions from job forms.3
Lastly, ensure consistent level of support across all levels of the organization and put in place adequate mental health support systems in place for all staff, such as trough Employee Assistance Programme, peer support and manager training.
NCSS Mental Health Toolkit for Employers contains helpful guidance and tips for employers to hire and support persons with mental health conditions in the workplace.
1 National Council of Social Service (2017). Study on Demand and Factors to Overcome Barriers to Employing Persons with Mental Health Condition.
2 National Council of Social Service (2020). Persons with Mental Health Conditions.
3 Tai, J. (2016, Sep 27). Call to remove mental health query on job forms. The Straits Times.
Help-seeking behaviour for mental health conditions
people with a mental disorder in their lifetime did not seek any professional help.1
Why Should you care
Your friends or co-workers may suffer from a mental health condition. You can help to identify them and provide timely intervention by encouraging them to seek help.
In 2018, the number of deaths by suicide increased by 10% compared to previous years. It further hit a record high amongst boys aged 10-19 years. There are several risk factors which could lead to suicide such as acute emotional distress, relationship difficulties and isolation, sudden life changes and chronic illness. Mental health conditions and psychiatric disorders continue to be considered a key risk factor globally.4
Studies have found evidence of co-morbidities between physical and mental health. Among those with chronic diseases, 14% of them had a mental disorder, and among those with mental disorders, 51% of them had some form of chronic disease. Timely help-seeking behaviour is crucial to prevent the worsening of mental and physical condition among persons with mental health condition. Awareness and early identification of mental health distress are crucial to ensuring that mental health is not overlooked compared to physical health, and help is accurately provided for both.
What are the existing forms of support
The Community Mental Health Masterplan aims to support persons with mental health needs, to seek early treatment nearer to their home and community. To this end, Agency of Integrated Care works with community mental health partners and social service agencies to set up Community Outreach Teams (CREST) and Community Intervention Teams (COMIT).
CREST reaches out to persons with, or at-risk of, mental health conditions as well as their caregivers. This allows for early identification, information about these conditions, and offering basic emotional support to the caregivers.
For those with mental health conditions and their caregivers, the COMIT team provides assessment, counselling and psychoeducation. They partner General Practitioners and Polyclinics to provide holistic care integrating physical health, mental health and social care services.
Similarly, IMH Response, Early Intervention, and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) is set up to work closely with schools, social service agencies and general practitioners to help students with emotional, social and/or behavioural issues within the community.6
What more can be done
There is still more work to be done to encourage help-seeking behaviour. The inability to recognise the symptoms of a mental illness and concerns regarding the stigma associated with mental illness are two common reasons for treatment delay for mental disorders. Young people, unsure if their distress are signs of emerging mental illnesses and comparing their distress with others “who go through worse experiences”, often worry about themselves being “unworthy” of a professional’s time.
Stigma also seems to affect the perception of mental health providers. Psychiatrists were found to be the least commonly recommended source of help for persons with mental health condition, even when they were seen to be the most helpful intervention for a person with mental health conditions. This further minimizes help-seeking behaviour.
How you could help
Everyone can do something to look out for each other’s mental wellbeing. Be aware of signs of mental health conditions. Look out for friends or peers who seem to be experiencing struggles with day-to-day activities. Check in with them and offer a listening ear.
If you think your friend/peer is showing warning signs of mental health conditions, encourage them to seek timely help from a counsellor in school or at work who can connect them to the appropriate service providers. To find out available services, you may download the Mind Matters Resource Directory and follow the MentalHealthAwarenessSG Facebook page to be plugged in for the latest happenings.
Support community efforts providing education and counselling. One of them is Silver Ribbon (Singapore), which provides mental health ¬first aid, public mental wellness workshops, and complementary counselling services. They also work with organisations to promote mental wellness at the workplace. Find out more about other community providers in the Mind MattersResource Directory.
1 Institute of Mental Health (2018). Media Release. Latest nationwide study shows 1 in 7 people in Singapore has experienced a mental disorder in their lifetime.
2 Ibid.
3 Institute of Mental Health. Talking About Suicidal Behaviours.
4 Bachmann, S., 2018. Epidemiology of suicide and the psychiatric perspective. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(7), p.1425.
5 Chong, S.A., Abdin, E., Nan, L., Vaingankar, J.A. and Subramaniam, M. (2012). Prevalence and impact of mental and physical comorbidity in the adult Singapore population. Annais of the Academy of Medicine-Singapore, 41(3), 105.
Caregiver Support
Why Should you care
Caregivers often juggle caregiving, work and family commitments,1 which brings about significant physical, psychological and emotional burden. They also have to cope with the economic cost of mental health. In 2013, the annual total costs of dementia per person was S$10,245, which encompasses both health care and social care.2
Often, caregiving responsibilities compromise the caregiver’s ability to continue working, which may result in a loss of income. It is widely acknowledged that caregivers themselves are very much at risk of mental health conditions in their lifetime.
Caregivers also face the brunt of the stigma faced by persons with mental health conditions such as prejudice and lack of empathy. This could end up manifesting in self-stigma, where nearly 30% of caregivers for persons with dementia reported feeling embarrassed while caring for their loved ones in public.3
What are the existing forms of support
What more can be done
Caregivers of persons with mental health condition could benefit from more support to help them cope with the invisible illness of their loved ones. Most financial support and respite care support focus on caregivers of seniors and people with disability. Similar forms of support could likewise be extended to caregivers of persons with mental health conditions.
Companies could choose to adopt initiatives such as the Work-Life Grant, which supports flexible work arrangements to help caregivers juggle their employment and caregiving needs. At the community level, bereavement support services play an important role to help caregivers cope in the unfortunate event of losing their loved ones.
How you could help
Whether you are a corporate representative or an individual caregiver, consider reaching out to the following support groups for caregiving support:
Support Caregiver Alliance (CAL)’s caregiver programmes through Giving.sg. CAL offers free-of-charge Caregivers-to-Caregivers (C2) Training Programmes at hospitals, community centres, corporations and faith-based groups, which are run by volunteer facilitators who have gone through the caregiving journey themselves. The goal is to enable caregivers to have a better understanding of different mental health issues, improve their problem solving and communication skills, and help them walk the recovery journey with their loved ones.
Support ground-up movements such as PleaseStay. Movement and Montfort Care Grief Matters. The PleaseStay. Movement is a group of mothers brought together by the grief they faced when losing their children to suicide. The movement now advocates for a national strategy to suicide and mental wellness. Grief Matters is a movement by Montfort Care to rally the community to recognise grief and offer bereavement support.
1 Alzheimers Disease Association of Singapore (2017) Profiling the Dementia Family Carer in Singapore.
3 Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Singapore (2019, May 06). 3 in 4 persons with dementia feel rejection and loneliness, national survey on dementia finds.
4 Ministry of Manpower (2019) Enhanced Work-Life Grant for flexible work arrangements.
Stigma and Discrimination
Why Should you care
Stigma is an overarching term which encompasses problems of knowledge (ignorance), problems of attitudes (prejudice), and problems of behaviour (discrimination).2
6 in 10 people in Singapore believe mental health conditions are caused by a lack of self-discipline and willpower.1 This untrue perception underscores clear ignorance about mental health conditions and underlying prejudice towards persons with mental health conditions. Just like physical health, one’s mental health is shaped by biological conditions, life experience or family history. It has nothing to do with being weak or lacking willpower, nor is it a character flaw.
Stigma towards persons with mental health conditions affects how one seeks help, goes for screening, and discloses his or her condition to co-workers and peers. This denies them the chance of reaching out to those who could potentially become a source of support, and instead results in further self-isolation.
What are the existing forms of support
The National Council for Social Service runs the #BeyondTheLabel campaign which addresses the stigma faced by persons with mental health conditions in society, through participating in mental health events and campaigns. The Agency for Integrated Care runs the Mental Health Awareness Singapore Facebook page to raise awareness and share available services, support and resources. Organisations can also apply for the Mental Health Public Education Grant Call for mental health initiatives that reduces stigma and promotes acceptance and inclusion of people with mental health conditions.
What more could be done
Indeed, social inclusion has been shown to have the greatest impact on improving the Quality of Life for persons with mental health conditions. Yet, stigma against persons with and at risk of mental health conditions remain prevalent. Often, the reason for stigma stems from the lack of practical knowledge and experienceon how to interact with those who have mental health conditions.
This is exacerbated by the lack of accurate information amidst the slew of information to be found, making it hard for individuals to find helpful and accurate information or resources they might need. This further hinders multiple reintegration efforts made by different service providers in various settings, be itthe community or the workplace.
How you could help
Learn more and be part of conversations on mental health conditions. Attend public events by Silver Ribbon (Singapore), Resilience Collective and many more, to learn about persons with mental health conditions. You can have dialogues with their “human library” books in some of these sessions and hear first-hand their amazing stories of resilience! Or chat up Belle, the NCSS helpbot which can direct you to the appropriate community resource for your needs.
If you prefer a hands-on engagement, why not volunteer to help persons with mental health conditions integrate into society? Organisations such as the Matchsticks of IMH support people with mental health conditions, and Silver Ribbon Youth Chapter raises awareness and advocate social inclusion of youths with mental health conditions or youths are in distress.
1 National Council of Social Service (2018). NCSS launches first nation-wide campaign to fight mental health stigma [Media Release].
2 Thornicroft, G., Rose, D., Kassam, A. and Sartorius, N., 2007. Stigma: ignorance, prejudice or discrimination? The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190(3), pp.192-193.
3 National Council of Social Service (2016) Understanding Quality of Life of Adults with Mental Health Issues.
Youth with and at risk of mental health conditions
Why you should care
According to the second Singapore Mental Health Study in 2016, youths aged 18-34 years old have the highest prevalence of mental disorder compared to other age groups.3
Youths are more connected and tend to be more influenced by the media and their own peers. Coupled with their tendency towards impulsiveness and curiosity, youths may be more prone to developing addictive habits such as gaming, smoking and gambling.4
These lifestyle habits could impact their mental wellbeing. For instance, it has been found that excessive phone use could lead to a greater prevalence of Generalised Anxiety Disorder.5 Without appropriate intervention, youths who experience anxiety, depression, social withdrawal and memory and attention problems can develop greater risk of psychosis6 in later life.7
What are the existing forms of support
The Integrated Youth Service, a collaborative initiative between the Institute of Mental Health, Agency for Integrated Care and Care Corner, is being piloted and set to be launched in late 2020 to strengthen support for youths who are at risk of mental health conditions. It aims to provide access to coordinated mental health and social support services, such as individualised basic emotional support, needs identification and befriending services.8
By 2022, the Ministry of Education will have a support structure consisting of students in order to encourage students to help one another. Students become peer support leaders who take active roles in looking out for their peers and help their peers understand mental health issues and seek support. Mental health education will also be included as part of character and citizenship education in secondary schools.9
What are the existing forms of support
While several strides have been made in mental health prevention efforts at school, relatively little has been done to engage families. Family support is crucial for at-risk youths or young PMHCs for two reasons. Firstly, family support in the form of parental consent help young people to receive early professional help. Early intervention ensures better chance of recovery from mental health conditions. Secondly, familial support eases the path to recovery for young people with mental health conditions.
How you could help
Encourage young people who are struggling with work or school to seek support and help.
Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) provides personalised and confidential mental health check service for young people aged 16 to 30 who are unsure if they need professional help. CHAT is located in a youth-friendly setting within SCAPE, to ensure that fear of being stigmatised for seeking psychiatric support does not hinder them from taking the first step towards reaching out for help.
TOUCH Youth provides mental health services to young people who struggle with mental health conditions. They also run DigitalMindset, a 9 month programme that helps youth cope with mental health conditions arising from excessive gaming and device use.
Learn how to support your peers experiencing struggles with their mental health conditions. CampusPSY conducts educational programs for youth ambassadors to equip them with knowledge on mental health, to better engage with young people who have mental illness. Volunteer as a CampusPSY ambassador and learn how you could provide peer support to young people. Find out more about CampusPSY here.
1 Subramaniam, M., Abdin, E., Vaingankar, J.A., Shafie, S., Chua, B.Y., Sambasivam, R., Zhang, Y.J., Shahwan, S., Chang, S., Chua, H. C., Verma, S., James, L., Kwok, K.W., Heng, D, & Chong, S.A. (2020). Tracking the mental health of a nation: prevalence and correlates of mental disorders in the second Singapore Mental Health Study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29.
2 Pang, S., Liu, J., Mahesh, M., Chua, B.Y., Shahwan, S., Lee, S.P. Vaingankar, J.A., Abidin, E., Fung, D. S. S., Chong, S. A., & Subramaniam, M..(2017). Stigma among Singaporean youth: a cross-sectional study on adolescent attitudes towards serious mental illness and social tolerance in a multiethnic population. BMJ open, 7(10), e016432.
3 Subramaniam, M., Abdin, E., Vaingankar, J.A., Shafie, S., Chua, B.Y., Sambasivam, R., Zhang, Y.J., Shahwan, S., Chang, S., Chua, H.C., Verma, S., James, L., Kwok, K.W., Heng, D., & Chong, S.A. (2020). Tracking the mental health of a nation: prevalence and correlates of mental disorders in the second Singapore Mental Health Study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29.
4 National Addictions Management Service (2013, November). Addictions in Adolescents Information for parents/caregivers.
5 Chang, S., Abdin, E., Shafie, S., Sambasivam, R., Vaingankar, J. A., Ma, S., Chong, S. A., & Subramaniam, M. (2019). Prevalence and Correlates of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Singapore: Results from the Second Singapore Mental Health Study. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 66, 102106
6 Psychosis refers to mental disorders where someone experiences delusions/hallucinations or feels out of touch with reality.
7 Institute of Mental Health (n.d.). Support for Wellness Achievement Programme.
8 Ministry of Health (2020). Committee of Supply Debate. Providing accessible, affordable and good quality healthcare.
9 Teng, A. (2020, Mar 4). Parliament: All schools to have peer support networks by 2022; more emphasis on mental health education. The Straits Times.
Workplace Mental Wellness
Why Should you care
In 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) included burn-out as an occupational health concern. It results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Closer to home, a regional poll reported that 72% of employers in Singapore considers stress and mental health as issues affecting productivity.4
At the national level, the Singapore Mental Health Study projected that around 300,000 productivity days are lost annually as a result of absenteeism. This could be linked to one’s help-seeking behaviour or lack thereof, where 87% of those with mental health conditions in the workforce did not seek help for problems related to mental health.5
Existing forms of support
At the national level, a Tripartite Advisory on Mental Wellbeing is being developed to educate employers on what could be done to improve workplace mental wellness. The advisory will highlight initiatives companies should emulate, such as access to anonymised external counselling service or training supervisors to identify mental health symptoms early.6
To combat workplace stress, the Ministry of Manpower Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute partnered with the WSH Council, Institute of Mental Health, Changi General Hospital and Health Promotion Board to develop iWorkHealth 1.0, which is an online, self-administered, anonymous psychosocial health assessment tool for companies and their employees to identify common workplace stressors. Workplaces can use or adapt the iWorkHealth 1.0 tool through employee engagement surveys.
What more could be done
8 in 10 employees believe that more can be done to support mental health conditions in the workplace. There is a lack of provision of mental health services and wellness initiatives in the workplace. Companies do not typically offer medical benefits which cover mental health and wellness-related conditions, for example providing paid mental health professional services within and outside the organisation, medical leave, or having medical claims that cover mental health consultations.
Moreover, employees are unwilling to disclose the stress they feel and their ability to manage it at work as they are concerned that it affects how they are professionally perceived and their career advancement opportunities. Yet, this lack of disclosure could lead to an employer lacking knowledge about the state of mental wellness in their workplace and consequently resulting to a lapse in action.
How you could help
There are many ways you can advance workplace wellness.
Pledge to be a mental health friendly workplace. Encourage your top leadership to be part of which brings C-suite leaders from private and public sector to champion workplace wellbeing as a leadership priority, by sharing and co-creating inclusive practices in the workplace.
Conduct training for staff to equip them with skills to be supportive of employees struggling at work. Health Promotion Board conducts management training workshops to equip managers and HR personnel with self-care knowledge and skills to be supportive leaders at the workplace.
Lastly, advocate for your workplace to provide access to support for employees. Some ideas could be to increase work support through implementing peer support and buddy systems, setting up a network of mental health champions at the workplaces, and lowering the barriers to accessing counselling.
Accenture, in its mission to create a truly human organisation by creating a holistic experience for their employees, launched a volunteer-run mental health and wellbeing programme to create awareness, educate and support mental wellness at the workplace. This is done through workshops, advocating for employee insurance to cover for counselling and psychotherapy, as well as the Mental Health ally programme. The programme empowers employees to be first responders to their peers who might be struggling with their mental health through coaching or directing the latter to appropriate services and resources in a timely manner.
1 Kisi (2019). Cities with the best work-life balance 2019.
2 CIGNA (2020, March 20). How work-related stress affects employee.
3 CIGNA (2019). 2019 CIGNA 360 Well-Being Survey Well & Beyond.
4 Aon (2017). Aon APAC Benefits Strategy Study 2017.
5 Chong, S.A., Vaingankar, J.A., Abidin, E. and Subramaniam, M., 2013. Mental disorders: employment and work productivity in Singapore. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 48(1), 117-123.
6 Phua, R (2020, Mar 3). Government to publish advisory to help improve mental wellbeing in the workplace. CNA.
7 National Council for Social Services (2017). 2017 Study on Demand and Factors to Overcome Barriers to Employing Persons with Mental Health Condition.
Credit Mentions List
Justin Paul
Mental Health Programme Manager, HealthServe
Fred Cordeiro
Executive Director, Clarity Singapore
Jeremy Khoo
Head of Public Relations, Communications & Volunteer Management, Alzheimer’s Disease Association
Tim Lee
Executive Director, Caregiver Alliance Limited
Kevin See
Manager, Community Partnerships, Montfort Care
Tay Su Yin
Assistant Manager, Corporate Development & Community Engagement, Apex Harmony Lodge
Dr Tan Weng Mooi
Chief, Caregiving and Community Mental Health Division, Agency for Integrated Care
Joycelyn Neo
Project Director, Job Club, Institute of Mental Health
Dr Ong Lue ping
Head, Department of Psychology, Institute of Mental Health
Porsche Poh
Executive Director, Silver Ribbon (Singapore)
Charis Chua
Senior Manager, Social Inclusion, Service Planning and Funding, National Council of Social Service
Goh Shuet-Li
Executive Director, Resilience Collective
Jonathan Kuek
Volunteer, IMH Matchsticks, Institute of Mental Health
Anthea Ong
Founder, WorkWell Leaders Workgroup; Hush TeaBar; A Good Space
Shawn Soh
Senior Counsellor, Touch Youth Intervention
Andrea Chan
Head, Touch Youth Intervention
Cho Mingxiu
Founder, CampusPSY
Colyn Chua
Programme Manager, MINDSET Care Limited
Samuel Tan
Programme Specialist, MINDSET Care Limited
Pavan Sethi
Managing Director, Accenture
The information provided on this page is as of 26 November 2020.
