Addressing Issue of Suicide Amongst Youths

141 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Social and Family Development how does the Ministry work with MOE to address the issue of youths committing suicide.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Every suicide is one death too many. MSF and MOE are committed to suicide prevention and enhancing the mental well-being of our youths. The causes of suicide are complex and multi-faceted, often involving family, social and mental health issues. We have therefore partnered with various Government agencies and community partners to adopt a multi-pronged approach to suicide prevention, based on the following key thrusts: building mental resilience, early identification and encouraging help-seeking, supporting at-risk groups and providing crisis support.

To build resilience and support mental well-being in youths, MOE has enhanced upstream efforts through the refreshed Character and Citizenship Education curriculum in schools and mental resilience and well-being programmes in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). There have also been efforts to raise parents’ awareness on mental health to help them better support the well-being of their children in schools. Additionally, individuals and families with socio-emotional needs may receive assistance from community touch points such as Family Service Centres for counselling and case management support.

Early identification and encouraging help-seeking are vital for suicide prevention. School teachers and academic staff in IHLs are trained to identify students experiencing distress, provide timely support and refer students to counsellors or mental health professionals for further interventions when necessary. Promoting peer support also equips students to look out for one another and encourages help-seeking. All IHLs have established peer support structures, and all schools will have a peer support structure in place by 2022. The National Council of Social Service has also been working with partners to address the issue of stigma and promote help-seeking behaviours through the "Beyond the Label" movement.

For youths who are at risk or require crisis support, schools and IHLs provide parents with timely updates on their child’s mental health state and potential risks, and work with them to ensure there is adequate safety and support. Schools and IHLs also tap on community agencies when necessary. Youths in crisis may also seek support from 24-hour hotlines by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS). SOS has started a text-based service to provide an alternative help-seeking platform for youths in crisis.

To enhance coordination of our multi-pronged approach to suicide prevention, an Inter-agency Research Workgroup on Youth Suicides led by IMH has been set up to work on various initiatives to prevent and intervene in suicidal behaviours in children and youths.

MSF and MOE, together with MOH, also support the Youth Mental Well-being Network, which has brought together over 1,500 youths, parents, care-givers, and social sector and mental health professionals to discuss and implement ideas and initiatives to enhance youth mental well-being.

There is no easy solution to suicide prevention. A whole-of-society approach is needed to prevent suicides among our youths. We will continue to strengthen our inter-agency and cross-sectoral efforts to support youths at risk of suicide. We also encourage everyone in the community to continue looking out for each other.