More people in Singapore struggling with alcohol abuse, but seeking help earlier: Study, Health News
SINGAPORE - A mental health study has shown that while alcohol abuse is a growing problem here, sufferers have been seeking help earlier. The second Singapore Mental Health Study, conducted in 2016, found that one in 24 people struggled with the problem in their lifetime, or 4.1 per cent of the population. This is up from one in 32 people in the landmark study done in 2010. Symptoms include recurrent alcohol use that affects obligations at work, school, or home. But sufferers also sought treatment earlier – the median number of years they delayed treatment in 2016 was four years, down from 13 years in 2010.
Little India Riot: Violence sparked by accident, alcohol ‘major factor’, says COI
SINGAPORE -The riot in Little India last December was sparked by a fatal accident but alcohol was “a major contributory factor” that led to the escalation of the violence, the Committee of Inquiry (COI) tasked to establish the root of the incident has concluded in its report. The 75-page document, released by the Home Affairs Ministry on Monday, also found that the riot was not caused by any deep-seated unhappiness among foreign workers here, but rather the result of an “emotional outburst” following the death of construction worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu. The 33-year-old from India, had been run over by a private bus on the night of Dec 8 after he tripped while running after the vehicle. A riot that involved about 400 foreign workers, mainly from South Asia, then erupted. “The COI’s finding is that labour issues were not involved either proximately or remotely,” said the report, which followed a five-week inquiry earlier this year that heard evidence from 93 witnesses.
Yahoo is now a part of Oath
A wide-ranging study on the state of mental health in Singapore found that more people are suffering from alcohol abuse, compared with a similar study done in 2010. The proportion of people in Singapore who suffered from alcohol abuse rose to 4.1 per cent in 2016 from 3.1 per cent in 2010, according to the second Singapore Mental Health Study released on Tuesday (11 December). It was the biggest rise among the common mental disorders examined in the study, which involved interviews with 6,126 Singaporeans and permanent residents. The study – spearheaded by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) – found that those who struggled with alcohol use disorders were typically lower-educated men aged between 18 and 34. Their recurrent alcohol use had affected their obligations at work, school or home, according to the study.
Schizophrenia, a life increasingly detached from reality
SINGAPORE: It was a cold night in January. A sudden clap of thunder woke me up from a fitful slumber and disoriented me. Somehow seized with the notion I was under surveillance, I thought to myself: “The world is ending”. Something moved near me. I bolted upright.
Coping with depression
Everyone has felt sad at one time or another. Usually it is due to a disappointment, frustration or losing someone. Such sadness is normal. Time heals, the mood lifts and people continue to get on with their lives. But in some people, depression can be so severe that it dominates their lives, preventing them from coping as they are used to. Depression of this degree is an illness and needs treatment.
Alcohol consumption in public areas of Little India remains banned on weekends, Singapore News
Alcohol consumption in public areas of Little India will continue to be banned on weekends, public holidays and the eve of public holidays, said the police on Wednesday. But the 134 liquor and convenience stores in the zone will now be allowed to sell alcohol between 6am to 8pm on the affected days. Another 240 establishments with public house or beer house licences - such as restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops - will be allowed to sell alcohol at all times. But customers are only permitted to drink within the premises, and any consumption outside is a breach of the ban. The consumption ban will start from 6am on Saturdays and end at 6am the following Monday, while on public holidays and the eve of public holidays, it starts at 6am on the eve, and will end only at 6am the day after the public holiday. The police said any licensees found to allow take-away of alcohol or serve alcohol outside their premises will risk losing their liquor licence.
6 common mental disorders affecting Singaporeans today
Pexels There’s been an increase in the number of Singapore adults who have suffered from a mental disorder in their lifetimes, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) said recently. According to a 2016 study, one in seven people in Singapore have experienced specific mood, anxiety, or alcohol use disorders in their lifetime, up from roughly one in eight six years prior. Read also: 1 in 7 people in Singapore have experienced a mental disorder – and some millennials are more susceptible to mood and alcohol-related ones
Self-imposed stigma compounds struggles of individuals with mental illness
SINGAPORE: Individuals with mental illness often grapple with stigma or negative public perceptions about their conditions and their struggle can be compounded further through self-imposed stigma. “Self-imposed stigma is the process by which persons with mental illness accept the negative attitudes of others towards them, then internalise and apply these beliefs to themselves,” said Associate Professor Mythily Subramaniam, director of the Department of Research at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). “Examples of self-imposed stigma include endorsement of negative stereotypes held by the public such as ‘I am dangerous’, ‘I am weak’, or ‘I am ashamed that I have a mental illness’,” she said. Based on an 18-month study on 280 outpatients from IMH suffering from depression, schizophrenia, anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), researchers have found that self-imposed stigma may influence the impact of perceived stigma, quality of life, self-esteem and function.
While alcohol is commonly used in many celebratory events, it is important to teach our youths the dangers of consuming it in excessive amount, and the risks that comes with it. by nurulsuhaidah Mar 25