With the expected rise in mental health needs as livelihoods are hit by the Covid-19 crisis and people grow increasingly anxious, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) is stepping up its national campaign to support those with such conditions and raise public awareness of how to help them recover and build resilience.
The council yesterday launched the third edition of its national mental health anti-stigma campaign Beyond the Label, amid greater mental health challenges posed by the pandemic.
Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said at the virtual launch of the campaign that a recent NCSS poll of 900 respondents found that Singaporeans - especially those with pre-existing mental health conditions - experienced more psychological distress during the circuit breaker period.
The Covid-19 crisis brought the issue of mental health and wellness to the forefront, he said, noting that many were anxious and concerned about contracting the virus, losing their jobs and being socially isolated. Mental health needs are expected to rise as livelihoods are hit and people grow increasingly anxious.
The Government has taken steps to strengthen support for people with mental health conditions, said Mr Masagos, who is also Second Minister for Health. He cited the Youth Mental Well-Being Network, which was set up in February to pool ideas and efforts to bolster youth mental health, and said over 1,000 people have since responded to the call.
A short film, The Clock, was also screened at the launch. The film by director Alvin Lee of Chuan Pictures depicts the struggles of a father who, despite having lost his job, had to care for his wife, son and elderly parents during the circuit breaker.
Mr Lee, one of four speakers during a panel discussion, said he hopes the film will encourage more people facing mental health challenges to seek help early, and that the film aims to reduce stigma by showing that mental health conditions are not as scary as many people think.
Mr Jeremy Chan, a former information technology professional who is now the programme executive for the mental health charity Resilience Collective, said he could relate to the film's protagonist.
Mr Chan said he experienced post-traumatic stress disorder and clinical depression after the death of his elderly mother, whom he had been caring for, in 2014. He said the hardest part of seeking help was the stigma of being seen as having a mental health condition.
Another speaker, Ms Gayathri Sandrasegaran, a senior social worker from Viriya Community Services, said she noticed more people from middle-income households seeking mental health help between April and June. The issues were also more complex compared with before the Covid-19 outbreak, she said, with more seeking help for emotional needs and family problems like parenting difficulties.
Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua, who was also on the panel, spoke of the Government's various Covid-19 support schemes.
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>1,000 Number of people who have responded to the Youth Mental Well-Being Network that was set up in February by the Government to pool ideas and efforts to bolster youth mental health.
As part of the campaign, a virtual Beyond the Label Fest will be held this weekend on the campaign's Facebook and YouTube pages.
The outreach events include a virtual concert featuring local artists such as Stefanie Sun, Kit Chan, Tosh Zhang, Taufik Batisah, The Freshman, Neko Highway, Ramli Sarip, and musicians from 3am Music Collective. There will also be workshops on activities like chocolate making and Tabata exercise, and dialogues on topics related to mental health.
