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. The results released on Tuesday (Dec 11) also showed that a smaller proportion, or 0.5 per cent of the population, suffered from alcohol dependence.
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.
Facing depression: Working adults battle not just demons, but also stigma
SINGAPORE: Outwardly, his wife and two young sons are his sources of joy. He seems a regular family man when he's with them. What is less apparent is that Mr Mak Kean Loong struggles to feel emotions like happiness. “In the past few years, I think I’ve never even felt that emotion,” said the bespectacled 38-year-old, who speaks with the numbed air of a tired man. At first, they all thought he was “just becoming extra introverted”. It was, in fact, his descent into depression.
1 in 7 people in Singapore have experienced a mental disorder – and some millennials are more susceptible to mood and alcohol-related ones, Business Insider - Business Insider Singapore
Around one in seven people in Singapore have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives. Singapore Press Holdings A study has found that more people in Singapore have experienced mental disorders at some point in their lives.
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.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessions are defined as recurrent, persistent ideas, images or impulses. Compulsions are an attempt to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsession. Compulsive behaviour may be physical or mental acts that are repetitive and purposeful, and performed in response to an obsession.
Many in Singapore unwilling to live or work with people with mental health conditions: Survey, Health News
SINGAPORE - Even as more people are seeking outpatient treatment at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), more than five in 10 respondents of a recent survey indicated they are unwilling to live with, live nearby or work with a person with a mental health condition. The survey, which is the first of its kind by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), also found that six in 10 people believe that mental health conditions are caused by a lack of self-discipline and willpower. Another key finding from the survey conducted last year - half of the 1,796 respondents believe that persons with mental health conditions should not be given any responsibility. But there were some encouraging notes in the findings, which were released on Saturday (Sept 8). The findings highlight the misconceptions and stigma suffered by persons with mental health conditions, said NCSS deputy chief executive officer Tina Hung.
Battling the ‘hidden’ highs and lows of bipolar disorder, Latest Singapore News
Ms Ruth Komathi was only 15 when she felt something was wrong with her. She had a tightness around her head that never seemed to disappear, her mind was constantly buzzing with disorganised thoughts, and she felt bouts of despair. In school, her essays became incoherent word salads. After rounds of medication and therapy , her doctor finally gave her condition a name when she was about 18 years old: bipolar disorder.
Understanding Your Mental Health
"There is no health without mental health" Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. The World Health Organisation constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Good mental health isn't just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental and emotional health refers to the presence of positive characteristics.
Alcohol abuse worse among younger people, Singapore News
SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - The young man woke up in his bed one morning to find himself surrounded by chocolates. He had blacked out after a night of heavy drinking and had no recollection of how he had got home with his bounty. The young man, who does not even like chocolates, suspected that he might have stolen them and was lucky not to have been caught.
