The electronic direct mailer (EDM) for an e-course on understanding common mental health disorders and mental health issues for GPs.
With preventive health as the main tenet of Healthier SG, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) — together with community partners, social service agencies (SSAs), and general practitioners (GPs) — are spearheading a collective effort to provide early intervention by incorporating mental health initiatives within physical health setups, to ensure the holistic well-being of Singapore residents.
NEW E-LEARNING COURSE FOR GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
IMH developed an e-learning course to deepen GPs’ understanding of common mental health disorders and mental health issues, and better equip them to support patients at the primary care level. In August 2021, IMH conducted seven interactive training modules under the GP Partnership Programme, which has about 100 GPs registered as of March 2022.
STRENGTHENING CAPABILITIES OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES PROVIDING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Recognising the need to improve the availability and accessibility of youth mental health services, the Ministry of Health (MOH) provided IMH’s Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) a five-year grant to build up the capability of selected SSAs across Singapore. The funding from April 2020 to March 2025 will enable the SSAs to screen and assess help-seeking youths and young adults aged 12 to 25 years old for mental health issues. CHAT’s ‘Integrated Youth Service Capability Building Programme’, comprises a three-tier training curriculum, which provides a progressive learning experience for the selected SSAs.
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM SERVICE FOR SUICIDAL INDIVIDUALS
In March 2021, IMH partnered the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to pilot the Crisis Response Team (CRT), as recommended by the 2017 Inter-Agency Research Workgroup for Youth Suicides. The CRT is the first mental health crisis response team in Singapore dedicated to providing timely care and support to persons with suicidal tendencies in the community. Under this programme, IMH’s helpline counsellors provide the police round-the-clock crisis support through a dedicated phone service. Where necessary, a team of psychiatric nurses will be sent on-site to conduct risk assessment of the person in crisis, and advise on the necessary follow-up.
ADVANCING WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH
On 16 November 2020, the National Mental Health Curriculum for Management of Crisis & Emergency Situations project was launched under the NHG Population Health Grant to strengthen the mental health response following the COVID-19 pandemic. IMH provides Mental Health Literacy and Psychological First Aid courses under this project to improve the capabilities of frontline workers, managers, and HR personnel in workplaces to manage mental health and psychological issues.
An open-concept day space with kitchen and anti-ligature furniture in SSU.
A sky garden adorned with plants and benches for the refurbished wards.
ENHANCING CARE DELIVERY FOR INPATIENTS
In November 2021, IMH completed phase one of refurbishing and improving its premises to strengthen inpatient care and increase operational efficiency. A new Short Stay Unit (SSU) was created and five acute wards — including a child and adolescent ward — were renovated to enhance IMH’s recovery-focused model of care, which advocates holistic and patient-centred treatment and management. Refurbishment of another five inpatient wards is on-going and expected to be ready in 2023.
Short Stay Unit
The SSU is a 30-bedded ward set up for persons in a state of mental health crisis. These patients typically present to the hospital with severe stress and adjustment issues. A short stay at IMH helps to stabilise the patients’ crisis situation, and manage their symptoms. Where necessary, patients are connected to relevant community and family resources post-discharge. Patients are admitted for a longer stay if they need to seek further treatment and/or be observed by the care team.
Child and Adolescent Ward
The refurbished child and adolescent ward provides an environment more conducive for staff to provide higher-quality, personalised and safe care to patients. The enhanced facilities include an open-concept day space, equipped with a pantry, anti-ligature toilets, and a new triage room.
Acute Wards
Sky gardens, adorned with plants and benches, have been added to each of the refurbished acute wards. The biophilic design of bringing nature into the wards improves air quality, as well as boosts patients’ well-being. The new Enhanced Care Area in each ward provides clinical interventions for patients who require closer observation and monitoring.
A NAMS Counsellor conducting the AFRA training for clinicians in KTPH.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER SERVICE
The Department of Mood and Anxiety has introduced a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Service after its successful pilot in February 2019. A multidisciplinary team comprising a doctor, psychologists, a case manager, and a medical social worker provides regular and intensive clinical interventions for clients with trauma-related concerns that range from single-episode PTSD to complex trauma. The team is also actively involved in trauma-informed care initiatives in the hospital and the community. The PTSD service also trains and collaborates with internal and external partners and stakeholders to increase preventive care and early detection of PTSD, as well as enhance accessibility of trauma-informed care within the community.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO ADDICTIONS TREATMENT THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS
People struggling with addiction often do not seek help or may overuse healthcare emergency services during acute episodes of their addictions. The National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) has introduced several initiatives to address these challenges and to better support those with addictions:
Alcohol-Related Frequent Attender (AFRA) Programme
Following the successful pilot of its Community Addictions Programme (CAP) to help patients with severe Alcohol Use Disorder reduce their alcohol-related Emergency Department (ED) visits, NAMS has provided training and supervision to enable four public hospitals across Singapore to run similar programmes to meet the needs of patients in their respective geographical catchment areas.
On-site Addictions Service (OSAS)
Since September 2021, NAMS’s new On-site Addictions Service (OSAS) at the Family Justice Courts (FJC) has been catering to Court users with suspected addiction concerns. The weekly service is provided by the CAP team for users with addictions related to alcohol, drugs, gambling, internet, gaming, sex, and pornography.
Panel discussion for NAAD 2021.
NEW STUDY TO TRACK DEMENTIA AND DEPRESSION AMONG ELDERLY
In March 2022, IMH launched the second Well-being of Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study to establish the latest prevalence and incidence of dementia and depression in adults aged 60 and above, as well as to examine factors associated with these conditions.
GENOME STUDY IDENTIFIES SCHIZOPHRENIA RISK
IMH researchers were part of a global effort that involved more than 100 researchers and 300,000 participants that found 287 regions in the human DNA harbouring genes that increase the risk of schizophrenia. Findings from this largest genomic study of its kind were published in Nature in April 2022 and signalled the potential for novel treatment approaches for the mental illness.
STUDYING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
In May 2020, IMH’s Research Division was awarded a joint-funding from MOH, Temasek Foundation, and the NHG-National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) COVID-19 grant to assess the social and psychological well-being of Singapore’s general population and their behavioural responses to the pandemic. The three-year research study is led by Professor Chong Siow Ann, Senior Consultant, IMH, and Associate Professor Mythily Subramaniam, Assistant Chairman Medical Board (Research), IMH, in collaboration with Hong Kong University. About 1,300 Singapore residents have since been interviewed to establish the prevalence of mental health conditions, and will be subject to a follow-up interview in one year to establish longitudinal health and the social impact of the pandemic.
SINGAPORE MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE 2021
Themed ‘Future Paradigms of Mental Health’, the sixth edition of the Singapore Mental Health Conference 2021 organised by IMH together with AIC, HPB, and NCSS, was held on 24 to 25 August. The two-day virtual conference featured 70 local and international speakers who addressed recurring and upcoming mental health challenges amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic. About 1,300 participants from the healthcare, community care, and social service sectors as well as service users attended the conference.