Remarks at World Mental Health Day Event
Minister of State for Manpower, Dinesh Vasu Dash , Terusan Recreation Centre
Good afternoon to our migrant brothers, partners and volunteers!
2 I am delighted to join you today as we mark World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October. The aim of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts by all stakeholders in support of mental health.
3 To our migrant brothers, we recognise that being away from home is not easy and there are days where it feels especially difficult. During your time in Singapore, together with the NGOs, dormitory operators and your employers, we are committed to supporting both your physical and mental well-being.
Achievements of Project DAWN
4 In 2020, we launched Project DAWN1 to create a mental health support ecosystem for our migrant workers. Since then, we have made significant progress. HealthServe, with the Ministry of Manpower’s support, has established a 24-hour crisis helpline, that is staffed by helpline specialists and trained volunteers who speak migrant workers’ native languages such as Tamil, Bengali, Burmese, Mandarin, Vietnamese so that migrant workers can communicate with ease and receive culturally sensitive support.
5 In addition to the helpline, MOM collaborates with HealthServe to develop the Peer Support Leaders programme. To date, close to 2,000 migrant workers have been trained as Peer Support Leaders with psychological first aid skills to provide early mental health support to their peers who may be facing challenges at work or back home.
Validation by NUS-IMH study on mental health
6 An MOM-commissioned study by the National University of Singapore and Institute of Mental Health showed that seven in ten migrant workers prefer face-to-face interactions when seeking information about emotional problems. About four in ten prefer to get help from trained fellow migrant workers. These findings showed the importance of direct, inter-personal engagement, including peer support, in addressing mental health needs.
7 However, the study also highlighted barriers that prevent migrant workers from seeking help: The fear of job loss, lack of awareness of available services, language barriers, and stigma surrounding mental health are common reasons why migrant workers do not seek help. These findings have shaped our understanding and underscore the importance of addressing these barriers through creating safe spaces and accessible pathways for workers to obtain mental health support.
Our strategic framework moving forward
8 Based on these insights, we have refreshed Project DAWN along three key thrusts.
9 First, we want to empower migrant workers to take charge of their own mental health. Through our partnerships with NGOs and community partners, we want our workers to be more aware on how they can take ownership of their mental well-being through the many programmes and activities our partners provide throughout the year. I am pleased to announce that HealthServe will be organising 20 preventive health roadshows over the next two years, reaching 20,000 migrant workers at the dormitories and RCs. These roadshows will offer a comprehensive set of information and activities across a broad range of health-related topics to enhance migrant workers’ overall well-being, covering mental health support and self-care techniques, oral hygiene and nutrition, health screening services and interactive games to make learning enjoyable. Through participating in these roadshows, we hope that our migrant workers can be better informed and equipped to better manage their physical and mental health.
10 Second, we want to provide targeted interventions for migrant workers that need mental health support. No problem is too small to be ignored because if unresolved, it can become bigger over time. Hence, we will continue to raise awareness of our crisis support services through HealthServe’s 24-hour helpline. This means that our migrant workers will get the right support quickly.
11 Third, we will continue to strengthen the capacity and capability building of the mental health support ecosystem. We are expanding our peer support leaders programme to other partners who have a ready pool of volunteers, such as the Migrant Workers’ Centre’s ambassadors. Working closely with MWC and HealthServe, we will identify migrant workers who are empathetic and have strong communication skills to be trained as Peer Support Leaders, including developing train-the-trainer initiatives to strengthen support networks among peers.
Role of employers in creating supportive environments
12 It is also important for employers to support the well-being of their workers. Several studies have shown that happy workers are also more productive. So I would like to encourage employers to do their part in creating supportive workplace cultures that encourage workers to speak up if they have issues and get the help they need. One company that is leading by example is Puretech Engineering Pte Ltd. Besides Mental Health Ambassadors who provide guidance for migrant workers, Puretech also has a Buddy Programme that pairs new workers with experienced ones, to help them settle in when they first arrive to work in Singapore. Puretech has done well and we will need more companies like them.
Conclusion
13 Ultimately, mental health is not a disease that needs to be cured but a condition that has to be managed. The community, our workplaces, MWs themselves and our employers can all play a part in this endeavour. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to our partners and volunteers from HealthServe who have made today’s event possible, as well as the over 10 NGOs, youth groups, and community partners who will be participating in the health roadshow later.
14 Thank you all for being here and let us continue to work together to strengthen the mental health ecosystem for our migrant workers.