Number of and Treatment for Those with Clinical Depression and Anxiety
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the statistics and demographics of individuals receiving treatment for mental health issues, specifically clinical depression and anxiety, from 2016 to 2019. Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam stated that an average of 49,800 residents were treated annually, including approximately 33,700 cases for depression and 34,500 for anxiety. Patient profiles indicate that 60% are under age 60, 70% are Chinese, and 30% reside in 3-room or smaller public flats, with risk factors including unemployment and marital issues. The response also noted that stress and chronic physical illnesses are significant factors, though data on education levels and annual mental health expenditures were not provided. Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam invited Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap to file a further question regarding specific ballpark figures for annual mental health expenses.
Transcript
6 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Health (a) from 2016 to 2020, what is the annual number of individuals receiving treatments for mental health issues; (b) how many are treated for clinical depression and clinical anxiety specifically; (c) what are the profiles of these individuals broken down by race, age, education background and economic background; and (d) what are the known causes that led to these individuals suffering from anxiety/depression.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Health): From 2016 to 2019, based on data reported to the Ministry of Health (MOH), a yearly average of about 49,800 Singapore residents received treatment for mental health issues at our healthcare institutions. This includes the public and private hospitals, polyclinics and general practitioner (GP) clinics. The data for 2020 is not available yet.
During the same period, the average number of residents seeking care for depression and anxiety was 33,700 and 34,500 respectively. However, the numbers include repeat attendances and are not unique headcounts.
Approximately 60% of patients with anxiety or depression are under 60 years old; 70% are of Chinese ethnicity; about 30% live in 3-room or smaller public flats. Breakdown by patients’ education level is not available.
Findings from the 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS) show that unemployment and divorced or separated marital status are significantly associated with depression. The same study postulated that stress may be a risk factor for development of anxiety disorder. The 2010 SMHS found that nearly half of those with depression and anxiety also had chronic physical illness.
Mr Speaker: Mr Faisal Manap.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Parliamentary Secretary. Just one short supplementary question. Does MOH have a ballpark figure of the annual amount of expenses that are being used to tackle issues related to mental health? A ballpark figure for annual expenses.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: This data is not what the Member requested for; I do not have it on hand. But if the Member wishes, he may file a further Parliamentary Question with specifics on this matter.