Health Check Ep 55: Getting working adults to share their mental health challenges

20:34 mins

Synopsis: This is a fortnightly podcast series on Wednesdays by The Straits Times that aims to help you make sense of health matters that affect you.  

In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks with Daniel Chang, 38, a freelance doctor who does medical aesthetic work. He started a movement last year with counsellors, fellow doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists to let working adults - who are quietly grappling with anxiety and depression quietly - feel they are not alone.

Called Lives of SG, it offers a platform for them to share stories of their mental health struggles, and his team has done free webinars on mental health in the workplace for a few companies.

They discuss the following points:

1. Helping professionals and ways to reach the "often-neglected" PMET segment of society with mental health struggles (1:00)
2. Mental health survey of PMETs: Top concerns & trends (3:10)
3. How a stressed professional or PMET can get free "mental health first aid" help from Lives of SG and be paired with the right psychologists (5:57)
4. Dr Daniel Chang's own life story & motivation to start this pro-bono movement (10:24)
5. Being a "high-functioning depressive", how therapy helped and his own personal tips for coping with depression (12:30)

Contact Lives of SG: https://www.livesofsg.org/

HELPLINES
Samaritans Of Singapore: 1800-221-4444

Singapore Association For Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Institute Of Mental Health's Mobile Crisis Service: 6389-2222

Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800

Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788

Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Penelope Lee and Ernest Luis 

Edited by: Penelope Lee

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