Spotlighting mental health in the community

Ho, Sally Chih Wei

doi:10.11622/smedj.2021055

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Singapore is a multi-racial country state with a population of 5.92 million people, made up of three major ethnic groups, Chinese, Malay and Indian ( 18 ) As established by the nationwide Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS) carried out in 2016, mental illness is not uncommon in Singapore, wherein 1 in 7 people would have experienced a mood, anxiety, or alcohol use disorder in their lifetime ( 19 ). In 2012, Singapore launched their Community Mental Health (CMH) masterplan, a paradigm shift that pivoted their focus from institutional psychiatric care to a greater emphasis on community-based care for PMI ( 20 , 21 ). Given that Singapore is a collectivistic society which prioritises family ties, family members are often the customary caregivers (CG) of PMI in Singapore ( 22 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative enquiry on the impact of mental illness stigma on caregiving role and experiences in Singapore

Ong,

Goh,

Tan

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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IntroductionGiven that mental illness stigma is a common occurrence amongst people with mental illness and caregivers (CGs) can be a potential victim of stigma themselves, there is a need to examine caregivers’ perspective on the phenomenon. This study is part of a larger study which aims to qualitatively examine the concept of mental illness stigma amongst different stakeholders in Singapore.MethodsFocus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted amongst 21 informal caregivers to explore the experience of stigma encountered by them and their care recipients, and how it may implicate their caregiving experience. Both inductive and deductive thematic analyses were employed to analyze the data.ResultsThree overarching themes of stigma encounters that may have implication on caregiving experience were identified: 1) Stigma within the family; 2) Structural stigma; and 3) Stigma by association. Experience of stigma within family (e.g., social exclusion and lack of understanding) limits the caregiving supports available to CGs. CGs also took up a mediating role between their care recipients and other family who may hold stigmatizing views. Witnessing their care recipients being subjected to structural disadvantages (e.g., employment, school, and mandatory conscription) can induce emotional stresses amongst CGs and motivate them to protest and seek redress on their behalf. Furthermore, encounters of stigma themselves (e.g., being judged or blamed for their loved one’s condition) also led to feelings of guilt and self-blame amongst the CGs.DiscussionThese findings can aid the formulation of interventions in informing CGs on what to expect on their caregiving journey and supporting them in dealing with issues relating to stigma and highlight the importance of anti-stigma efforts in organizational settings such as schools, corporations, and government agencies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative enquiry on the impact of mental illness stigma on caregiving role and experiences in Singapore

Ong,

Goh,

Tan

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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“…Accordingly, Singapore has striven to enhance access to mental healthcare services by integrating early detection, prevention, and rehabilitation services into the community setting through the Community Mental Health Masterplan (CMHM) and Enhanced CMHM in 2012 and 2017, respectively (Ho, 2021; Teo et al, 2022). Of note, the community mental healthcare ecosystem in Singapore is threefold.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of community mental health services among culturally diverse adult Singaporeans with major depressive disorder: A descriptive qualitative study

Tan,

Goh

2023

Int J Mental Health Nurs

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Persons with major depressive disorder (PMDDs) often experience pernicious ramifications on the biopsychosocial aspects of their health. While community mental health services (CMHSs) in Singapore are increasingly leveraged to meet the escalating demand for mental healthcare, shortcomings such as a substantial treatment gap and the lack of holistic, culturally sensitive care have been highlighted. Of note, the perspectives of the service users, which have hardly been studied in the literature, are crucial to our understanding of their needs to continuously improve CMHSs. Accordingly, this qualitative descriptive study explored the perceptions and experiences of community‐dwelling adults with major depressive disorder in their use of CMHSs in Singapore. Seventeen adults with major depressive disorder purposefully sampled from a CMHS provider were interviewed through a semi‐structured guide between October and November 2021. Data analysis via Braun and Clarke's six‐step thematic framework yielded five themes corresponding to three different phases: pre‐CMHS encounter ((i) procrastination to seek help and (ii) factors influencing CMHS utilization); intra‐CMHS encounter ((iii) incongruous perceptions of the impacts on biopsychosocial health and (iv) differing perceptions and experiences of culturally sensitive care); and post‐CMHS encounter ((v) enhancing CMHSs for PMDDs based on end‐users' experiences). Our findings underscore the need to improve the delivery of personalized mental healthcare services, use of settings‐ and culturally‐specific anti‐stigma strategies, and nationwide mental health literacy in symptom recognition and awareness of help‐seeking resources.

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Spotlighting mental health in the community

Cited by 2 publications

References 17 publications

A qualitative enquiry on the impact of mental illness stigma on caregiving role and experiences in Singapore

A qualitative enquiry on the impact of mental illness stigma on caregiving role and experiences in Singapore

Perceptions of community mental health services among culturally diverse adult Singaporeans with major depressive disorder: A descriptive qualitative study

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