Reply from MOH

20th March 2024 Dear Mr Raymond, Thank you for your suggestions on 9 March 2024, received by the Ministry of Health regarding the need to improve mental health awareness and reduce stigma of mental illnesses. We wish to share that this is a focus area of the National Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy which was launched last year, and there have been ongoing efforts to address this. One example is the Health Promotion Board (HPB)’s “It’s OKAY to Reach Out” campaign in 2021 which strived to normalise conversations on mental health and encourage individuals to seek help when needed. The Beyond the Label (BTL) Movement started by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) since 2018 is another campaign that raises mental health awareness and combats stigma. We are also enhancing mental health literacy and building resilience among our youth through the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum in schools. Students are taught to overcome stigma and show care, respect and empathy to all. In Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), students are trained to provide emotional support to their peers in mental distress. Today, over 48,000 frontline personnel such as the police, school teachers and other frontline personnel have received training to detect and support individuals with mental health issues. Such training would be extended to more segments of our population to further strengthen our community support networks and our collective resolve as a society to overcome stigma. We appreciate the time taken to share your concerns with us. Thank you and we wish you good health. Yours sincerely, Siti Hanom for Quality Service Manager Ministry of Health, Singapore