Help at hand with launch of national mental health call and textline
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The 24/7 dedicated service, called “national mindline 1771”, is part of the nation’s efforts to make mental health a key priority.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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SINGAPORE – Round-the-clock help for mental health is now just a call or text away with the launch of Singapore’s first helpline and textline service on June 18.
The 24/7 dedicated service, called national mindline 1771, is part of the nation’s efforts to make mental health a key priority and was one of the key proposals mooted
Individuals who need support can either dial 1771 to speak with a trained counsellor, or do so via chat on WhatsApp (+65 6669 1771) or an online chat widget at
All conversations will be kept confidential and help-seekers can also choose to remain anonymous, making it easier for individuals to take the first step to get help early.
This new service is operated by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
The service, which will be manned by 30 full-time counsellors who have a background in psychology or other allied health training, will be offered in the four official languages.
It was launched by Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon at the national mindline 1771 office in Tampines on June 18.
Speaking to the media, Dr Koh pointed out that one of the key lessons learnt during the Covid-19 pandemic was that there was a need for a national-level hotline to support Singaporeans in times of stress.
Rolling out such a service in peacetime would allow the Government to expand it if the need arises during times of major crisis.
“If there’s an acute crisis that happens at a national level, this hotline will be able to form the base for a surge capacity, by bringing in officers from various government agencies that have already been trained in psychological first aid to augment the services if need be,” said Dr Koh.
While the national service will offer counselling for those experiencing difficult life situations and mental health concerns, an important function is also to help those in distress make sense of the various mental health services available in the community and find one suitable for them.
One common issue those with mental health issues face is the difficulty of navigating a complex and varied mental health landscape.
A person under a lot of mental stress does not have the time “to go around getting lost in the system”, Dr Koh noted.
“So this is really about short-cutting the process for them and making them feel like help is really at their fingertips, and not delay any form of help-seeking behaviour until it’s too late or too much for them to bear.”
National mindline 1771 is a first-stop touch point, he added.
Depending on an individual’s needs, he could be referred to a general practitioner for assessment and treatment, or other hotlines run by social service agencies for a particular demographic.
Someone who is suicidal or threatening to harm others could also be referred to IMH or the police.
With the launch of the national service, IMH will discontinue its Mental Health Helpline, which was operating at 6389-2222 and served as a triage and advice resource for those facing emotional or mental health services.
Until Sept 30, calls to the IMH helpline will be automatically forwarded to national mindline 1771.
Adjunct Associate Professor Christopher Cheok, director of national mindline 1771, said the staff manning the service are trained with clinical skills and psychological first aid, and will be able to effectively triage the cases that come their way.
He added that the Ministry of Health will monitor demand for the service and adjust the manpower as required.
National mindline 1771 will also launch a pilot in late-2025 to recruit and train volunteers, who will complement the work of the professional counsellors manning the service.
“What we need our volunteers to help us in is to meet the needs of... people who maybe are not in very acute distress or don’t have a serious psychiatric illness, they just need a listening ear,” said Prof Cheok.
“We hope to involve the community as part of this national effort, so that hopefully we can build a more caring, empathetic society,” he said, adding that the service will aim to recruit as many volunteers as possible.
Ms Suriani Lim, 29, one of the trained counsellors operating the service, said that she hopes to encourage more to seek help for mental health issues.
During her on-the-job training when she manned the IMH helpline from February to June, Ms Lim attended to cases involving work, family and school issues.
In one incident, a caller experienced a panic attack over the phone, but she was able to calm the person down using breathing techniques.
“I feel very satisfied and fulfilled in this job... I want to help reduce the stigma of mental health too,” said Ms Lim.
