One in six suffer from mental illness in S'pore

SINGAPORE: One in six people in high-stress Singapore suffer from some form of mental illness, with the rate expected to rise, a news report said Monday.

Problems ranging from anxiety and depression to severe manifestations such as psychosis and dementia prompted a top-level committee headed by the Health Ministry to map out a five-year blueprint to curb the city-states trends of deteriorating mental health.

“We need to size up the potential problem and prepare for building up” manpower and education capabilities, The Straits Times quoted Minister Khaw Boon Wan as saying.

The World Health Organisation has classified mental illness as a major health issue that is likely to drain the coffers of many countries, the report said. In the United States, 26 per cent of the population suffers from some form of mental illness.

Based on global trends, Khaw said that he expects the problem in Singapore to grow.

“We are short of many kinds of supportive allied health workers like psychologists, counsellors and medical social workers to help the psychiatrists manage the entire range of mental conditions,” he said.

Khaw noted the stigma still associated with mental illness. “Asians tend to sweep such problems under the carpet”, he said.