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Suicide Awareness in Singapore

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Suicide Awareness in Singapore Suicide Awareness in Singapore Ms. Christine Wong Executive Director Crisis Support Specialist Counselling 24-hour Hotline Email Befriending LOSS Programme Healing Bridge Support Group Case Consultation Research Training Community Outreach OUTLINE Singapore demographics Overview of Mental Health strategies Suicide facts & figures About SOS Community Outreach Research Q&A 2 SINGAPORE POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS FOR 2016 Total Population 5.6 million Singapore Citizen Permanent Residents Non-Residents 3.4 million 0.052 million 2.1 million Source: Population Trends 2016 Singapore Department of Statistics 3 SINGAPORE POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS FOR 2016 Ethnic Composition of Residents Population Median Age: 40 3.2 9.1 Sex Composition of Residents Population 13.4 Females Males 74.3 51% 49% Chinese Malays Indians Others Source: Population Trends 2016 Singapore Department of Statistics 4 MENTAL HEALTH STRUCTURE IN SINGAPORE HEALTHCARE SOCIAL SERVICES NATIONAL GOVERNMENT NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) Social Service Providers COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS E.g. 5 MEETING CURRENT & EMERGING NEEDS 6 NCSS STUDY ON QUALITY OF LIFE 7 COMMON PREDICTORS 8 CURRENT LANDSCAPE 9 SERVING THE COMMUNITY More agencies focusing More social service offices on mental health open in the neighbourhood areas More free community legal clinic Agencies working with youths Services for the elderly More centres for caregivers More voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) serving disabilities and promoting inclusive society 10 WHAT ROLE DO WE PLAY? CO-WORKERS VOLUNTEERS SELF FAMILY 11 GLOBAL STATISTICS 12 SINGAPORE SUICIDE STATISTICS Number of Suicides 500 467 450 419 422 415 405 401 409 374 400 364 353 361 350 298 301 292 300 271 263 260 267 232 227 229 Total 250 215 Male 200 169 Female 159 159 142 132 134 132 138 150 126 121 123 100 50 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Source: Registry of Births and Deaths, Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore 13 COMPARISON ACROSS CAUSE OF DEATH 450 422 415 409 400 350 300 Assault/violent crime 250 200 183 176 168 Transport accidents 150 100 Suicide 50 14 14 17 0 2014 2015 2016 14 SUICIDES BY ETHNICITY POPULATION COMPOSITION SUICIDES 3.2% 6.1% 9.1% 16.4% 13.4% 2.9% 74.3% 74.6% Chinese Malay Indian Other 15 BREAKDOWN BY AGE 100 90 80 s 70 h t a e d 60 e d i c i u 50 s f o r e 40 b m u N 30 20 10 0 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80 andabove Age group Source: Registry of Births and Deaths, 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore 16 Youngsters cite mental health and relationship issues, academic pressure as sources of stress: SOS 17 SINGAPORE SUICIDE STATISTICS AT LEAST 1 Suicide death every day 2 Teenage suicide every month ON AVERAGE EVERY YEAR About 400 die by suicide, Men are TWICE more likely 1,000 suicide attempts than women to die by suicide 18 MASS MEDIA – YOUTH SUICIDES Multi-agency group set out to better understand the motivations and ideation behind youth suicides. Source: The Straits Times – More teens call SOS about mental health problems Source: The Straits SToimurecse :– TGhreo Sutpr asietes kTsi mtoe us n–dLeerasrtannindg y toou stpho stu, ihceidlpe syoung kids at suicide risk 19 OTHER MASS MEDIA ON SOS Source: The Straits Times – Helplines Take suicide threats seriously Source: 联合早报 – 了解自杀趋势变化及导因 扶轮社将发起首个自杀研究 Source: The Straits Times – Facebook rolls out updated tools to help stop suicides and self-harm in Singapore Source:联合早报 – 自杀率虽创四年来新低 年轻轻生者去年倍增 Source: TODAYonline – Samaritans of S’pore steps up efforts to aid distressed individuals 20 Suicide prevention is more than just about the relevant professionals averting crises in an emergency situation. It started with all of us doing something every day, in our own little ways. Ms Christine Wong SOS Executive Director 21 The best preventive measure would be for all in the community to be on a greater lookout for such negative content in the media, educate others to avoid them, and to be attentive to their loved ones by reinforcing social and emotional support for those they may be concerned about. 22 ABOUT SOS SAMARITANS OF SINGAPORE 23 ABOUT SOS Established on 1969, 48 years in Singapore To be the premier organisation in VISION suicide prevention MISSION To be an available lifeline for anyone in crisis 24 A HOSLISTIC APPROACH 24-Hour Hotline Local Outreach to Email Befriending Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Training Healing Bridge Research Community Outreach INTERVENTION Crisis Support Case Consultation Specialist Counselling 25 SOS PROGRAMMES & SERVICES 26 PUBLICATIONS Letter to Aly: Surviving my BFF’s Suicide by Lee-Ann (2013) Available in all major bookstores. After her best friend jumped to her death, Lee-Ann begins to contemplate suicide too. In her searingly honest diary entries, she exposes the wound of having a loved one gone too soon. WHY? When Both My Parents Took Their Lives by Yin (2008) Available in all major bookstores. When she was only 7, Yin’s mother took her own life. Forty years later, her father jumped to his death. She tells the readers how she survived her parents’ suicide. The Role of SOS in Suicide Prevention 27 NEWS & DEVELOPMENTS SOS is categorised under National Council of Social Service (NCSS) Mental Health Services Department SOS is described as an organisation focusing on suicide intervention and crisis management 28 INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS 29 FORGING PARTNERSHIPS 0 COMMUNITY OUTREACH 30 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Awareness Talks Conferences/Forums Youth Outreach 1. Suicide Awareness Talk Collaboration with educational 2. Suicide Prevention for institutions Caregivers 3. Community Resources in the neighbourhood o Youths o Elderly School o Caregivers roadshows o Front liners & Volunteers o General public The Role of SOS in Suicide Prevention 31 WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS 32 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Building Bridges Forging Connections Creating Communities Ground-up initiative aimed at equipping youth ambassadors with essential mental health knowledge and skills to support their peers in distress. Key Community Partners: 33 CORPORATE ENGAGEMENTS Conduct Suicide Awareness Talk (SAT) with employees on the suicide situation in Singapore and share how each and everyone can do their part in lifting the stigma on suicide in Singapore. 34 REACHING OUT TO THE YOUTHS 35 Specially designed to promote emotional well- SCHOOL being among youths and impart necessary knowledge and skills for peers to provide adequate TALKS & WORKSHOPS support to each other during difficult times. Students aged 13 to 14 years old Students aged 15 to 17 years old Students aged 17 to 21 years old (Lower Secondary School) (Upper Secondary School) (Tertiary Institution) FEEL YOUR LIFE A THINKING HEART WORKING OUT OUR Explore emotional well-being with TROUBLES Get insights to our ‘4 Basic emphasis on positive coping strategies to Emotions’, and a focus on ways to better manage negative emotions Understand the factors and stressors balance between emotions and that lead to what is known as “teenage thoughts angst”, with a focus on the KEEP CALM, STRESS-LESS overwhelming emotional and physical turmoil that teenagers experience and Understand stress and its impact on how to work them out health, with a focus on fun ways to de- stress 36 COLLABORATION WITH SCHOOLS Students will get to learn about: • The work at SOS • Our cause • Suicide situation in Singapore Collaborating with local university students to come up with ideas to tackle on the issues of: - Promoting help-seeking behaviour among those aged 20-29 - Increasing the number of volunteers at SOS 37 Collaborating with local university students to COLLABORATION come up with ideas to tackle on the issues of: WITH SCHOOLS - Promoting help-seeking behaviour among those aged 20-29 - Increasing the number of volunteers at SOS 38 Collaborating with local university students to COLLABORATION come up with ideas to tackle on the issues of: WITH SCHOOLS - Promoting help-seeking behaviour among those aged 20-29 - Increasing the number of volunteers at SOS 39 REACHING OUT TO THE ELDERLY 40 MASS MEDIA – ELDERLY SUICIDES 41 APPROACH IN PREVENTING ELDERLY SUICIDES Health Promotion Board Senior Activity Centres (SACs) Crisis Response • Equip seniors on social- • Conduct social activities • Conduct outreach talk to emotional and self-care and home visits to reach raise awareness about skills out elderly living in the suicide rental flats • Conducting workshops in • Operate 24-hour hotlines workplaces to teach • Befriending programmes for those in distress older Singaporeans on where volunteers visit mental resilience and seniors regularly so they well-being are not isolated 42 OUTREACH TALKS FOR THE SENIORS • Reaching out to various Senior Activity Centres to conduct outreach talks One of the elderly passed his handmade token of appreciation to the • Educate the seniors with ways to cope SOS speakers. with stress and emotional well-being • Informing seniors about SOS 24-hour hotline 43 INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH Hosted Deputy Chairperson from Befrienders Kuala Lumpur in March 2017. Shared knowledge of the operations of the centre, with specific focus on services Educational visit from besides the 24-hour hotline such as the Macau Youth Community & Healing Bridge support group School Counselling Service programme, training, and community outreach efforts. in August 2016 44 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Over the past 5 years, SOS has been reaching out to: 4,268 14,739 Individuals Students 45 WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY 10 September 46 World Suicide Prevention
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