Network formed by IMH to help schizophrenia patients

A new initiative by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) will bring different agencies involved in the care of schizophrenia patients to offer mental healthcare and support to them.

Called the Singapore Schizophrenia Network (SSN), the initiative aims to get the agencies to provide better treatment, care and support for persons with schizophrenia and their families, among others, said an IMH statement on Monday morning.

Schizophrenia, which affects nearly one per cent of the population, is a chronic psychiatric disorder that requires long-term medication and treatment.

With its early onset during adolescence, Schizophrenia is a debilitating illness and sufferers who are not treated are often trapped in a vicious cycle of relapses.