Singapore is the World’s First Country to Set a Mental Health Benchmark

In a report by Aon and TELUS Health on the Mental Health Index of residents in different countries in Asia, Singapore is categorised as having a “Strained” index – that is, we are above average (not in a good way) and we’re far from “Optimal”.

The “Optimal” levels are 80-100.

When focussing on the mental health of workers in Singapore, it is reported that:

• 33% feel anxious
• 32% feel isolated
• 31% feel depressed

… and these numbers assume that they cover everyone who spoke up.

So what?

In a study published in the BMC Psychiatry journal by Duke-NUS and the Insitute of Mental Health in 2023, about S$15.7 billion worth of productivity was lost to symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In other words, poor mental health among employees is bad enough. It’s definitely a no-no when there is money going down to drain, especially when it is preventable.

Setting a New Benchmark

According to The Straits Times, the chairman of Workwell Leaders (WWL), Anthea Ong, declared that their new initiative will be the first global benchmark.

The Workwell Leaders is a Singaporean non-profit charity organisation that aims to “champion(ing) workplace mental health and wellbeing” by making it a “strategic priority and board agenda” thereby expanding it “beyond merely a HR responsibility”.

In other words, they keep track of employee burnout and mental well-being and put pressure on the higher-ups to better care for them. From there, they believe that the team will be more productive and innovative.

What’s the novel initiative?

WWL now wants to up their tracking by doing a research study that aims to track how changes to the workplace affect workers. This includes workplace behaviours, workload, work design, team collaboration and a sense of belonging to their workplace.

After gathering the data, they will suggest the best workplace practices for organisations in Singapore to follow for free.

The “Right Thing To Do”

Ms Anthea Ong is also a former Nominated MP. She projected that this initiative will most likely be eagerly taken up by big firms, but she hopes that they can spread their knowledge and practices to smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Some of the practices include: “peer support, training resources, training for mental health first aid, even creating peer support groups that also involve some of the employees of the partners”

She added that regardless of what support is implemented, it is still an opportunity that not a lot of companies are leveraging on.

This initiative was announced at the 2024 Workwell Leaders Awards Gala Dinner on Thursday (14 Mar), and our President Tharman Shanmugaratnam made a cameo through a pre-recorded video. The Gala was held at the Conrad Singapore Orchard and 400 guests were in attendance.

Our President emphasised the importance for the higher-ups to take initiative and lead the team towards a stigma-free working environment – where mental health is no longer taboo.

He also added that tackling mental health issues isn’t just about the money. “It’s also the right thing to do, for all of us to be concerned about this. It makes us a better society.”

Taking a Step Forward

During the Gala, WWL gave out awards to workplace mental health advocates. This is the second time WWL has done this in hopes of encouraging more firms to take the initiative.

The winners were:

• National University of Singapore (NUS)
• Otis International Asia Pacific (they also snagged the trophy for Well-being Organisation of the Year)
• PSA International
• IHH Healthcare

Mr Stephane de Montlivault the Otis president for Asia-Pacific acknowledged that Singapore is a place known for burnout, fatigue and sleep-deprivation, and this is a good step towards having better practices.

He added: “No one should need an award for doing the right things… However, I would argue that awards bring important benefits as they raise visibility of actions done by too few companies in an environment where mental health should be top-of-mind.”

Combined Effort

This is in line with the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, announced back when COVID-19 plagued us all. On 7 Feb,  our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong gave a speech on Advancing Mental Health in Singapore.

In his speech, he aimed to further improve mental health and well-being by expanding mental healthcare facilities, upskilling and increasing mental healthcare professionals and widen support networks, especially for youths.

Clear skies are ahead. To those who need help, remember to reach out to:

• National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868
• Fei Yue’s Online Counselling Service
• Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline (6389-2222)
• Samaritans of Singapore (1800-221-4444)
• Silver Ribbon Singapore (6385-3714)
• TOUCHline (Counselling) – 1800 377 2252

For more helplines and resources, click here.