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 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 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 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 Day 10 September 2016

47 STARTING THE CONVERSATION…

Partner with Creative Agency:

A simple but intuitive way to get more people talking about the issue, and more people asking for the help they need.

48 AWARENESS ENGAGEMENT ADVOCACY

Raise awareness for Drive online engagement Advocate for campaign campaign and drive on campaign page and message through adoption of traffic to campaign page social content plaster and active sharing of campaign message

Facebook Ads Print

Creation and download of digital plasters on campaign Twitter Ads Outdoor page Partner Materials for plaster distribution

EDMs to partner Guardian Shelf Display databases Social Media Content Sharing of campaign message on audience’s own social channels Banner Ads CTA social posts by celebrities, influencers and partners

49 AWARENESS

Raise awareness for campaign and drive traffic to campaign page

Campaign Facebook page: Wear a plaster. End the silence.

50 AWARENESS

Raise awareness for campaign and drive traffic to campaign page

Campaign Twitter page: @sos_howru

Partnering with Hansaplast and Guardian on the display

51 AWARENESS

Raise awareness for campaign and drive traffic to campaign page

Publicising on local newspapers

Out-Of-Home advertisement on bus stops island-wide

52 ENGAGEMENT

Drive online engagement on campaign page and social content

Public can download the digital plaster from the SOS website and add it to their social media avatar

During the campaign period from 4 September to 11 September, the no. of visits to SOS website increased by 30x

53 ENGAGEMENT The video ‘Empty Spaces’ is published on campaign Facebook page as well as played in all Golden Village Drive online engagement on cinemas before the movie screening during the campaign campaign page and period. social content

Reached close to 200,000 views per day on Facebook page

54 ENGAGEMENT

Drive online engagement on campaign page and social content

Celebrities & Influencers were also actively sharing on their social platforms, helping to spread the message across the nation

55 ENGAGEMENT

Drive online engagement on campaign page and social content

56 ENGAGEMENT SHARING OWN STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Drive online engagement on campaign page and social content I have been fighting depression and suicidal thoughts for more than 9 years in silence. I am here to support and create awareness of it. It’s time to break the silence. I have been through, I am still fighting, and we can fight together.

Being a former slave to negativity and self-harm and suicidal thoughts, I do know what it’s like to completely lose hope and lose the drive to keep moving forward in life. But one simple #howru could really change how you think…

57 EXPRESSING CREATIVELY THROUGH ARTS ENGAGEMENT AND MUSIC

Drive online engagement on campaign page and social content

58 ENGAGEMENT ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO OPEN UP CONVERSATION

Drive online engagement on campaign page and social content I’m putting this up in support of World Suicide Prevention Day. All it takes sometimes is a simple question, or a smile, or hug to pull someone back from the edge. I know this personally all too well.

It’s not the easiest thing to get someone to open up, but your one question of #howru could change someone’s mood so much and possibly change their decision of wanting to end his/her life.

59 ADVOCACY

Advocate for campaign message through adoption of plaster and active sharing of campaign message

60 RESEARCH

61 RESEARCH PAPER WITH IASP

A systematic review of physical illness, functional disability and suicidal behaviour among older adults

62 SOS RESEARCH

In collaboration with: FOCUS OF PROJECT

Investigate suicide trends among Singapore’s overall population

PURPOSE OF PROJECT NEW AGE INSTITUTE • Provide an update on Singapore’s suicide landscape

• Aim to improve local suicide prevention & intervention efforts

63 WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

Mental Health Stigma

Staff turnover Research IT Infrastructure

Changing socio- Funding & economic trends Resources

The Role of SOS in Suicide Prevention 64 FUNDING

Individuals, Corporations, Foundations

Local Outreach to (LOSS) Programme o Not funded by ComChest o 50% funding by Toteboard social service fund o Need to raise $260,000 annually

The Role of SOS in Suicide Prevention 65 FUNDING

Local Outreach to Suicide Community Outreach Research Survivors (LOSS)

The Role of SOS in Suicide Prevention 66 Prevention may be a matter of a caring person with the right knowledge being available in the right place at the right time.

67 COMMUNITY RESOURCES

When 24-hour Office hours Lifetime What First Aid Longer term Ongoing support intervention & support

Who First Responders Professionals Community

Examples Police Force Social Workers Family Civil Defence Counsellors Friends Hospital A&E Doctors Colleagues Hotlines Specialists Neighbours Psychiatrists Religious Groups Psychologists Social Groups Therapists Self-help Groups Nurses Grassroots Leaders

Together, we can make a difference to people in crisis, thinking of suicide or affected by suicide.