Have a heart for the community?

Hello, we're back!

Let's Dance @ IMH: 23 October 3pm-5pm

Bingo with Elderly @ B. Well Ltd: 6 November 1pm-3pm

Arts and Craft @ IMH: 9 November 2.45pm-5pm

Fun with Plants @ IMH: 19 November 2.45pm-5pm

have a great week ahead (:

Hiatus

Hello!

thanks for keeping up with us, we're going on a short hiatus for now because of Promotional Exams...but we promise we'll update as soon as we can!

More CIP opportunities (:

We're sorry for the fewer posts these days, things have been rather tight for the team...but we present to you good news! More opportunities, with a longer notice (:

Fun With Plants @ IMH: 24 September 3pm-5pm

Let's Dance @ IMH: 25 September 3pm-5pm

Fun With Sports - Badminton @ IMH: 13 October 3pm-5pm

Bingo With Elderly @ B.Well Ltd: 2 October 1pm-3pm

Toss The Ball @ Light and Love Welfare Services Centre: 2 October 2pm-4pm

Vacancies are limited, so do hurry and sign up! (:

CIP Opportunity @ IMH

We know you've been waiting for CIP opportunities all this while! We apologise for the delay, but we are proud to announce 3 opportunities in the coming week that await you:

Date: 14 Sept 2009 - 16 Sept 2009 (three 1-day opportunities)

Time: 3.00pm - 5.00pm

Location: Occupational Therapy Dept, Buangkok Green Medical Park 10, Buangkok View Singapore 539747 (Map)

Nature of Activities: Arts and Craft, Badminton, Sing A Long

Have a great time!

Made-In-Singapore Mental Wellness clips

We recently found some made-in-Singapore clips about mental wellness! We do hope you enjoy them (: And of course, beyond the slapstick humour, may you also pick out precious learning points embedded in these embedded videos...

Indeed, true friends are important in helping us build a stronger self-esteem and avoid mental health problems. Tell a friend you love him/her today!

Comic Relief 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZQi5MfCdM0

we're really sorry that we can't embed the video directly because it's been disabled by request on YouTube, but it's an awfully good video (: so please, click on the above link and watch it!

Samaritans of Singapore - Suicide Awareness Week 2009

The Samaritans of Singapore (SOS for short) is having a Suicide Awareness Week this week! If you're interested, do sign up for the workshops below:

The Suicide Intervention Workshop (SIW), on 7-8 September 2009, 9am-5pm:

Alternatively, you could sign up for the Suicide Postvention Workshop (SPW), on 10 September 2009, 9am-5pm:

Annual Medico-Legal Seminar 2009

Want to find out more about mental disorders at a higher level? Register and attend the seminar below!

There is much mystery, myth and folklore surrounding mental disorders. In the not too distant

past, persons suffering from mental disorders were called ‘lunatics’; a term associated with the

supposed influence of the moon over a person’s mental condition and health. The medical discipline

of psychiatry has progressed far from those days and proper diagnostic and treatment programmes

are now available to those afflicted with the condition.

However, there is still a lack of awareness of what are the causes of mental disorder and its

various conditions such as schizophrenia, depressive disorders, morbid jealousy, etc. Why do some

people suffer from neuroses and others in similar circumstances do not? Is the cause organic,

genetic, or environmental?

More importantly, how can a mentally disordered person manage his own affairs? Should he

be held responsible for his actions while laboring under such a condition? How does the law deal with

a person suffering from mental disorder; from his capacity to make personal decisions to his

responsibility for his actions when he commits an offence? What is the role of the State in caring and

treating mentally disordered persons?

The 2008 Annual Seminar of the Medico-Legal Society on ‘Mental Disorders: The Medico-

Legal Issues and Challenges’ seeks to address the wide diversity of issues surrounding mental

disorders. The issues looked at include:

a) Understanding the nature, symptoms and treatment of mental disorders;

b) Mental disorder and legal incapacity - the extent to which a person suffering from mental disorder

can contract and give valid consent to medical treatment and to manage his own affairs.

c) Mental disorder and criminal liability - the extent to which a person suffering from mental disorder is

responsible for his actions.

d) The impact of the recent legislative amendments to the Mental Disorders and Treatment Act on the

care and treatment of persons suffering from mental disorders and new powers to manage their

affairs.

e) Punishing the mentally disordered offender – the philosophy behind the setting up of the

community court and the new approaches to punishing mentally disordered offenders through

various care and placement plans.

f) The Government’s blueprint for mental health for the next 5 years.

We have invited eminent speakers form their respective fields to speak at the Seminar. You

will have the opportunity at this Seminar to familiarize yourself with all the diverse issues affecting the

mentally disordered.

Alexandra Marketplace Talk - Freedom From Depression

Feeling down, lonely and no one to turn to? Without any hint, these signs of depression can easily creep into our lives unknowingly. But advice is at hand. Join Rev Caleb Chan from Faith Community Baptist Church at this next lunchtime Marketplace Ministry talk on "Freedom From Depression", and learn to manage the symptoms and eradicate depression in your life. Invite your colleagues or friends working in and around Alexandra Road to this event. "Freedom from Depression" by Rev Caleb Chan Date: Monday, 31 August 2009 Time: 12.00pm to 1.30pm Venue: Abundant Life Planners 371 Alexandra Road #04-22 Singapore 159963 To register, please contact Adeline Ong @ 9680 2244 oradeline.ong@orangetee.com.

Fighting and understanding the Woodbridge stigma

from http://www.singaporeangle.com/2007/02/fighting_and_understanding_the.html

"He is a leprous man, he is unclean," says Chapter 13 of Leviticus in the Bible.

Science has proven leprosy to be nothing more than a chronic infection of the Mycobacterium leprae. This puts leprosy in the same league as illness such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, strep throat and sinusitis, which are all bacterial infections. Of course, such knowledge was not available at the time the book of Leviticus was written, thus resulting in the stigmatization of leprosy and discrimination against lepers.

Mental illness probably suffers the same fate as leprosy. Modern science has proven mental illness to be biological disorder of the brain. In fact, as the term itself suggest, it is an illness, and not some mysterious condition. With proper treatment, most mental patients do recover and can lead perfectly normal lives. Yet, even in a modern country like Singapore, mental illness is still generally viewed with a discriminatory attitude.

Part of the problem could probably be attributed to history. In the past, those suspected to be afflicted with mental illness would be sent to an infamous place called Woodbridge Hospital. I have not seen the actual grounds, but from pictures and some of the structures that have been preserved at the current Institute of Mental Health (IMH), the place resembled more of a maximum security prison rather than a hospital. This probably stigmatized mental illness by giving the perception that mental patients are dangerous and need to be locked up with the tightest security possible. The term Woodbridge also became a local derogatory reference term for mental illness.

Having interned at IMH for three months last year, I managed to learn a lot more about mental illness. The most important realization that I took away from my internship is that those who suffer from mental illness suffer double compared to other diseases. The reason is because the sufferer is tormented in the brain but shows no physical symptoms, unlike many other diseases. This leads to the people around the sufferer to make mistaken assumptions, such as thinking that the person is just "acting weird" or throwing tantrums. Instead of providing care and support, those around the sufferer may very well deride or ridicule the person, adding to the misery of the illness.

Mental diseases are not just confined to the stereotypical image of a violent person with a chopper who goes around hacking people for no reason. There are a wide range of mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, impulse control and addiction disorders and personality disorders. Not everyone who suffers from mental illness is going to go around hacking people with a chopper.

Not only is mental illness misunderstood, the severity of its impact on society is also underestimated. Illnesses such as cancer, heart diseases and diabetes often hog the limelight, perhaps because these diseases are quickly fatal if left untreated. However, in comparison, the societal burden of mental illness is greater. Mental illness is usually not fatal, but it incapacitates the person, making the person unable to function normally. Not only is the person unable to contribute to society, that person has to be taken care of by society until the end of his/her lifespan. Barring the onset of other diseases, those suffering from mental illness can probably live as long as any normal human being.

According to the World Health Report 2001 issued by the World Health Organisation, four of ten leading causes of disability worldwide are neuropsychiatric disorders, accounting for 30.8% of total disability and 12.3% of the total burden of disease. In the same report, it is predicted that depression will become the second leading cause of the global burden of disease. In addition, major depression is often linked to suicide, and if we take suicide into account, the burden associated with depression becomes much greater.

In Singapore, it was found that 16% of Singaporeans struggle with some form of mental disorder. While the figure is not a cause for alarm yet, it should be a cause of concern. Our employment landscape is changing, with job insecurity on the rise, even for well-educated professionals. It was highlighted in parliament earlier this year that there is an increase in older PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) being retrenched. This is a potential cause of a future increase in mental disorders such as anxiety and mood disorders. The middle class squeeze is also another potential cause.

The good news is that mental illness is treatable, with good rates of success. The U.S. based National Alliance on Mental Illness states that "70 and 90 percent of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports." With an appropriate treatment plan tailored for the individual, the impact of mental illness can be mitigated enough for the person to "find a satisfying measure of achievement and independence." In fact, the earlier the diagnosis and commencement of treatment, the better it is for the mentally ill because it can potentially prevent undesired consequences such as suicide.

Data from the World Health Organization indicates that in 2003, Singapore had 346 cases of suicide, of which 214 were males and 132 were females. The highest rates of suicides for both genders were in the working-age groups. While it would be a stretch to conclude a causal link between the workplace and suicide, there is perhaps some correlation between workplace stress and suicide. Prolonged period of stress can lead to depression, which can in turn lead to suicide. While early intervention might not prevent every case of suicide, at least some cases can be prevented, particularly in cases where stress has degenerated into a critical psychiatric condition.

Mental illness is also not properly understood in the context of crime and punishment. A relatively recent case saw the courts increase the punishment for a person who was diagnosed as suffering from mental disorder. It appears that the stigma of mental illness has led to a denial of its existence as a genuine medical problem. While it is not in the interest of this article to delve into an in-depth discussion of mental illness and the law, perhaps some recognition from the courts that mental illness is a valid mitigating factor can help in reducing the stigma on mental illness.

What can Singapore do to address the issue of mental illness? The Health Promotion Board already has a mental health education programme in place. Local media have given a fair amount of relatively unbiased coverage on the illness. However, the stigma of mental illness still persists. Job applications typically require applicants to indicate if they have had a history of mental illness. Few companies have policies in favour of employing people with mental illness. The root of the stigma indeed runs deep.

Reducing the stigma of mental illness is a long term battle. Given that our society has already come to develop some commonly held misconceptions of mental illness, it would be a delusion to think that the problem can be eradicated easily. A starting point of the long term battle could be in education. The Ministry of Education (MOE), with advice from IMH can develop a comprehensive education package on mental illness, just like how the sex education package was developed. In educating the young with facts about mental illness, they will grow up with the right knowledge about mental illness, which in turn will bring out change in how society will view mental illness in future.

In addition, the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) should take the lead in de-stigmatizing mental illness. The SNEF can encourage employers to adopt a more friendly policy towards those who have suffered mental illness, while the NTUC can help those who have suffered mental illnesses to find jobs and defend them against discrimination by employers. Since the SNEF and NTUC play big roles in the employment landscape in Singapore, their support in the fight against discrimination of mental illness in the workplace would have a more lasting impact than any non-governmental organization's efforts.

In order to successfully combat the stigma of mental illness, aside from understanding the very nature of mental illness, the next and perhaps the most important step is to give those who have suffered and recovered from mental illness a chance to prove that they too are productive individuals like any other "normal" person. Perhaps a parallel can be drawn to the popular story of Christopher Columbus.

Had Columbus not been given the chance to set sail, people would not have known that the earth was round, and not flat as previously assumed. Similarly, if we don't give people who had recovered from mental illness a chance to work, we will not know that mental illness is just but a treatable disease, and that these people are just as capable as anyone else.

Acknowledgements:

Many thanks once again to the writers of SingaporeAngle for providing insight comments, as always. Special mention to Bernard Leong as well for reminding me to finish up this article that had been put on the backburner for a while.

Links to Related Projects (:

http://www.asightofmind.com/

Believing that the right exposure promotes knowledge and understanding, photojournalists Adeline Ong and Lim Chin Ping embarked on a project to put a face to mental illness.

The result is Out of Sight Out of Mind, a photo documentary done over a five-month period to share the stories of patients living in rehabilitation homes.

http://www.jennackerman.com/trapped/

“What started out as an assignment for school has produced a piece that has changed my life and hopefully will do the same for the people that view it.”

Jenn Ackerman

Stigma and Mental Illness

Why should mental illness be treated differently from any other kind of illness?

Jacob Ramsey, who suffers from mental illness, talks about stigma and what to do about it. He is a member of Step Up on Second, www.stepuponsecond.org, a not-for-profit organization in Santa Monica, California that provides housing and other services to people with severe mental illness.

Health Promotion Board: Mental Health Education Programme

Mental Health Education Programme Introduction Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. It influences how we feel about ourselves, our relationships and our ability to cope with changes, transitions and life events. The World Health Organization defines mental health positively as "…a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". Having positive mental health is crucial for the wellbeing and effective functioning of an individual. Positive mental health also serves as a protective factor against mental illness. In Singapore, the top mental illnesses are depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. As these are treatable medical conditions, it is important to seek help early for these illnesses. Aim of Programme The Mental Health Education Programme has two main aims: Promote positive mental health through raising awareness of the importance of mental well being and enhancing one's self esteem and resilience Reduce mental illnesses by raising awareness of the importance of early detection and treatment of mental illnesses, and highlight the avenues of help The Programme targets the general population across lifespan from childhood to old age and across all ethnic groups in Singapore. Key Strategies and Main Activities The Programme uses a comprehensive mix of strategies to promote positive mental health among Singaporeans. These include public education through media and face-to-face programmes, and destigmatisation of mental illnesses. Customised programmes are developed for educational institutions, workplaces and the community. Exhibitions, talks, workshops and training are held regularly to empower the people to take greater control of their own mental well being.

Who's the "weirdo" here?

An employer embarrassingly tries and fails to express an enlightened view when he discovers the man he is interviewing for a job has a history of depression.

Some Background Information

MENTAL ILLNESSES COMMON AMONGST TEENAGERS

The most common problems adolescents face revolve around three issues:
1. appearance
• body image issues
• over-influence by the popular idea of the “perfect body”
• low self-esteem
• unhappiness that they are not allowed/do not have the ability to spend large sums of money to improve their appearance

2. attitude/ personal worth
• search for adult identity
• finding limits independence
• start of separation from parents
• comparison to peers

3. social life
• boy-girl relationships (BGR)
• exploration of sexuality
• split between friends and parents

MANIFESTATIONS OF PROBLEMS

1. Adjustment Reactions
• short-term reactions that happen because of traumatic or stressful events
• e.g. relationship problems, death of loved one or even academic failure

2. Emotional Disorders


• especially depression and anxiety disorders
• happens more often in late adolescence
• tend to persist and are accompanied by considerable emotional suffering which can affect many areas of daily life
• characterised by tensions, doubts and uncertainties that handicap ability to cope

3. Suicidal Thoughts & Acts


• can be the result of adjustment reactions or depressive illness
• the wish to die as a solution to the immediate problems can end up in an impulsive and irrevocable suicide

FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION

1. Verbal abuse

locally the terms “woodbridge [patient]”, “xiao”, “nuts” etc. are commonly used as derogatory terms to refer to mentally ill patients
the dangerous thing is that such terms are accepted and not taboo in society

2. Social discrimination

often mentally ill patients (even those who have recovered) do not dare to reveal their past to bosses and fellow colleagues
many have encountered discrimination in the form of social ostracization when finding work or in the workplace
those who are guilty often include neighbours, friends, and even relatives

3. Physical abuse

cases where those who have more serious illnesses and cannot defend themselves are abused through physical means or through neglect, sometimes by their own caretakers
also incidents where mentally ill people were beaten up when left alone by caretakers

Mental health workers said that discrimination was actually a factor in worsening mental illnesses “because it lowered self-esteem, increased their patients' feelings of social isolation and caused depression. Around half said it led their patients to misuse drugs or alcohol and caused suicidal feelings.”