A study in 2016 by the Singapore Institute for Mental Health reported that 1 in 7 persons in Singapore has experienced a mental health issue in their lifetime. Coupled with Singapore’s ageing population, society faces a myriad of mental health-related issues such as dementia. Recent reports and movements have also highlighted the rise in teenage suicides and depression.
In 2020, APC members began to explore mental health issues in Singapore, organising several roundtables and workshops together with Caregivers Alliance, the Singapore Institute for Mental Health, and the Centre for Evidence and Implementation. Since then, members have regrouped to form the Mental Wellness Collective in order to delve deeper into possible interventions at a systems level.
The Mental Wellness Collective will look at building resilience for the youth population in Singapore, including possible upstream interventions such as training for educators, building a platform for youth by youth on resources to manage mental health issues, prevention and early intervention insurance coverage for low-income families, and more.