Skip to main content
Home The New Paper
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team

Popular

  • COURT & CRIME
  • Food & Drink
Singapore

Critical to protect mental health of the young early: Halimah

Critical to protect mental health of the young early: Halimah
President Halimah Yacob said Singapore adopts a whole-of-society approach in building a safety net for those living with mental health conditions. PHOTO: INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH SINGAPORE

Singapore has to step up efforts to strengthen their resilience, says President

Goh Yan Han
Dec 03, 2020 06:00 am
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • 0 Engagements

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the academic routines and social activities of many children and young people, and has had a negative impact on their mental health.

Strengthening mental health resilience is all the more important during this period, said President Halimah Yacob yesterday, adding that Singapore has to step up efforts to protect the mental health of children early.

She was speaking at the virtual opening ceremony of the 24th World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, where she outlined several strategies the Republic has adopted to bolster mental health support for its young.

Highlighting youth suicide as a growing concern, Madam Halimah said stakeholders such as hospitals, schools and community partners have stepped up efforts to work together to support those at risk.

Madam Halimah said besides placing great emphasis on preventive care and focusing intervention upstream, Singapore has also made efforts to improve public education and mental health literacy in children and youth.

She said: "It is essential to equip children with knowledge on common mental health conditions and ways to manage them, as well as develop in them empathy and care towards persons with mental health conditions."

Dengue cases down but danger far from over: NEA
Singapore

Dengue cases down but danger far from over: NEA

Jan 26, 2021

Related Stories

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer on the rise

MOE denies blocking transgender student’s hormone treatment

Two tuberculosis clusters linked to Bedok betting outlet found

This is why mental health education will be included in a revised curriculum to be progressively implemented from next year, and all schools here will establish peer support structures by 2022 to strengthen current peer support efforts, she added.

MINDLINE.SG

Online initiatives have also been rolled out to enhance young people's access to mental health resources. This includes mindline.sg, an online portal with mental health resources that can also assess users' emotional well-being.

Madam Halimah said the Republic adopts a whole-of-society approach in building a safety net for those living with mental health conditions.

It includes training schools and social service agencies to identify and manage at-risk children with severe emotional and behavioural problems, offering free mental health checks as well as rolling out coordinated mental health and social support services for at-risk youth.

The 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study found that more than three-quarters of those living with mental health conditions did not seek treatment.

"The delay in treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder was 11 years; four years for bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse; and two years for anxiety disorder," said Madam Halimah.

  • Helplines

     

    Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444

    Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

    Institute of Mental Health's crisis helpline: 6389-2222

    Caregivers' Association of the Mentally Ill: 6782-9371

    Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800

    Caregivers Alliance (weekdays, 9am to 6pm): 6460-4400

Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now

MEDICAL & HEALTH

Goh Yan Han

Read articles by Goh Yan Han
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • Newslink -  Purchase this article for republication

Top Stories this Month

Let’s cancel Chinese New Year
Lifestyle

Let's cancel Chinese New Year

Jan 25, 2021
Singapore

Mum killed in crash on way home to celebrate with son

Jan 19, 2021
After one year of Covid in Singapore: Case 38
Singapore

A year on, recovered virus patient still can't taste or smell

Jan 22, 2021
Home
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contact TNP
  • About SPH
  • Privacy Statement
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Member Terms & Conditions
  • Website Terms & Conditions
SPH Digital News Copyright © 2021 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn No. 198402868E