It is highly commendable and timely that the IMH, NUS and NHG had initiated the survey to find out public attitudes towards people with mental illness. The results indicated that 'more than one in three people believes people with mentally illness are dangerous, and half the population wanted protection from them'.

These results would hardly surprise mental health workers who have heard of clients' stories of being stigmatised and experienced personally ill-informed perceptions from the general population.

The study highlighted the need for mental health practitioners to pull resources together, coordinate and sustain efforts and maximise participation with stakeholders such as Silver Ribbon, public and private hospitals, Singapore Association of Mental Health (SAMH) and Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS) to fight stigma, bridge gap in services and offer practical solutions to mental health clients. The Tze Hng Wellness Studio is an excellent initiative by Silver Ribbon and Aljunied-Hougang Citizens' Consultative Committee to solve real problems faced by people with mental illness and meet their practical needs.

Future works stated in the study include public education, early treatment, ongoing research and training of other mental health professionals beside psychiatrists and nurses are currently practised by stakeholders, perhaps, in an uncoordinated manner that affects their impact in the past.

The question is how to pull together resources and talents across different levels of service providers to offer efficient services by competent workers to meet the clients' needs and maximise their reintegration into community. Some suggestions include assessing current services, encouraging well-adjusted patients, family members and practitioners to appear as ambassadors or spokepersons in promotional activities, organising a nation-wide 'World Mental Health Day', working with employers to train and hire clients, showing statistics of patients who are not dangerous or run afoul of the law, producing an info-documentary on mental illness.

In addition, service delivery could be improved by creating more job opportunities, giving recognition and developing career prospects for para-medical workers in the profession of psychology, counselling and social work to assist people with mental illness.

The good news is that the Health Ministry is leading the way with $88 million over five years to change attitudes and promote greater acceptance of people with mental illness.

Roland Chong Kim Poh