One in three people in Singapore fears mental patients: study

Singapore - More than one in three people in Singapore regards the mentally ill as dangerous, a study said on Monday. Half of those in the study contended that the public should be protected from them and said they would keep mental illness a secret if afflicted.

The study, published in The Straits Times, is the first of its kind in the city-state. It was based on a survey of 2,632 people aged 15 to 69.

The result of suffering in silence is that those with serious illnesses such as schizophrenia or depression do not seek the help they need.

"Mental illness is like other physical illnesses, which can afflict anyone," The Straits Times quoted Associate Professor Chong Siow Ann as saying.

"There are effective treatments, but like cancer or diabetes, these are ailments which will not go away on their own," said the senior psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health who headed the study.

Negative perceptions toward mental illness prevent those affected from fully living, studying or working in the community, the authors of the study wrote.

"It is a barrier to proper care and contributes to the sense of hopelessness, isolation and low self-esteem for the sufferers," they said.

Chong emphasized the need for public education to help remove the stigma associated with mental illness.

Such illnesses as depression, anxiety, addiction or dementia are a growing problem in developed countries, he noted. One in six people in Singapore suffer from some form of mental illness.

Source: www.earthtimes.org (30 Oktober 2007)
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