When it comes to mental health of our young, effective early intervention is key. For those youths who start exhibiting mental distress, it is important that they get help and support early, before their condition escalates to become a mental health issue.
This is an area that needs urgent attention. At the 3rd Asia Pacific Conference and Meeting on Mental Health today, I shared some worrying trends. COVID-19 has exacerbated the challenges of mental health. Worldwide, more people are reporting anxiety and depression over the past year. Specifically from 2015 to 2020, the number of adolescents seen at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for depression has increased by about 60%.
We need to do something quickly to arrest this worrying trend. One way is to create a community-based support system, and bring mental health support closer to our community. Mental health intervention for youths at-risk should be accessible, holistic and prompt. To this end, in the coming months, President’s Challenge will partner IMH to develop a pilot programme to uplift the capacity of our social service agencies in the case management of youths with mental health conditions. I hope this will help mobilise community resources to complement Government efforts in supporting persons with mental health conditions.
No one should be left to face their mental health struggles alone. Let us work together to create a more caring society.
#mentalhealthawareness #breakthestigma #PC2019
Posted by Halimah Yacob on Wednesday, October 6, 2021