Aspire. Advocate. Act.- Mental Well-Being

Mental Well-being
Mental well-being is much more than an absence of illness. It involves our daily lives. It has to do with:
a.How a person feels about himself
b.How he/she feels about others
c.How he/she handles the stresses of daily living

Mental ill health covers a wide and diverse range of conditions, from common problems like depression, stress and anxiety to more serious illnesses such as schizophrenia or personality disorders. Each person’s experience of mental ill health will be different, however one thing they have in common is that they disrupts one’s mental well-being and affects one’s perspective on life and affects their work ability.
The current situation
In Europe:
Every year over one in four European adults are affected by mental
health problems. Mental illnesses lead to 58 000 suicides in Europe.
The estimated number of Europeans that have suffered from major depression is
18.4 millions and from specific phobias 18.5 million within the past 12 months.

In Singapore:
The government identified the mental well being of the people an important issue as mental well being directly affects one’s ability to work. Thus, maintaining a healthy mentality is crucial in ensuring a healthy workforce.

This is a study done on Singapore longitudinal ageing to investigate the relationship between mental well being and volunteerism.

Objective: to examine the effect of late life engagement in continued work involvement or volunteer activities during retirement on mental well being.

Methods: two waves of data from the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies were analyzed for 2,716 Singaporeans aged 55 or above at baseline and 1,754 at 2-year follow-up. Trained research nurses interviewed participants (non-volunteering retiree, volunteering retiree, and working seniors) on mental health status (geriatric depression scale, Mini Mental State Examination, positive mental wellbeing and life satisfaction).
Results: about 88% of seniors were retired (78% non-volunteering, 10% volunteering) and 12% were still working in paid employment or business. At baseline and 2 year follow up, and regardless of physical health status, volunteering retirees and working seniors gave significantly better MMSE cognitive performance scores, fewer depressive symptoms, and better mental well-being and life satisfaction than non-volunteering retirees.
Conclusion: the results of this study suggest that continued work involvement or volunteerism provides opportunities for social interaction and engagement and may be associated with enhanced mental well-being. Future research should clarify which specific aspects of volunteerism are related to long-term mental well-being.
Speech by Mr Heng Chee How:
http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/speeches.aspx?id=17668
What Singapore is doing about it
The Singapore Association for Mental Health was established in December 1968 to promote mental wellness and to empower people with mental illness in rebuilding their lives.

It is a voluntary welfare organisation (non-government and non-profit), which seeks to promote the social and mental well-being of the people of Singapore. More specifically, the organisation aims to promote mental health, prevent mental illness, improve the care and rehabilitation of persons with mental illness, and to reduce the misconception and social stigma that surrounds mental illness.

They provide services such as:
a.Counseling Services
b.Peer Support Group
c.Family Link Programme
d.Caregiver support group
e.Illness Management and Recovery Programme
f.Club 3R – Drop-in Centre
g.Bukit Gombak group Homes
h.Activity Hub at Pelangi Village
i.Youth Reach Centre
j.Oasis Club
k.Support for Eating Disorders Singapore
l.Oasis Day centre

Refer to the link below for more information on these services and also to contact the organisation if you wish to provide your service!
http://www.samhealth.org.sg/