Latest news with #SingaporeAssociationforMentalHealth
AsiaOne
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang revealed to have been executed for murder of 16-year-old girlfriend , Entertainment News
Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang was recently revealed to have been executed by a firing squad in December last year for killing his 16-year-old girlfriend. He was 34 years old and is the first celebrity in China to have been handed a death sentence. According to a court document released by Xianyang, Shaanxi, his girlfriend surnamed Zhang - who was 15 years old when they first dated - had wanted to break up. Yiyang was opposed to it and threatened to kill himself during their quarrels. On Feb 26, 2022, he lured her into a forest in the guise of celebrating her birthday and cut her neck multiple times with a pocketknife, rupturing her carotid artery and windpipe. He then went home to change his clothes, before throwing them and her mobile phone into a river. The court document revealed he then tried to commit suicide in a hotel but was found by staff who called the police. The court sentenced him to death for intentional homicide, and he was executed on Dec 18, 2024. Yiyang's posthumous film Jie You Yin Sheng Guan premiered in March this year, and netizens recently took to Douban to give one-star ratings, criticising its release despite its lead actor being executed for murder. One netizen remarked: "The male lead actor was executed for murder, but the movie he starred in still premiered." Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928 Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 Community Health Assessment Team: 6493-6500/1 Counselling TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers): 6804-6555 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Online resources [[nid:720332]] syarifahsn@
AsiaOne
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'There's no one whose kin doesn't die': Jet Li reveals his thoughts on death, why he doesn't attend funerals, daughter being suicidal
Jet Li, who was frequently plagued by rumours of his own demise, got candid about death in an interview recently. In a video interview with Chinese magazine Sanlian Lifeweek published on July 10, the 62-year-old China-born action star, who has been Singaporean since 2009, was asked if he ever felt "sad and regretful" about the death of a friend or senior. He responded: "Why should we feel sad and regretful? I think this is something that only avatars in games would feel." Jet, a staunch Buddhist, added that a lot of times in dramas, characters would often express regret about not meeting someone for the last time or fulfilling their wishes before they died. "For people around me who have died, those who know me would know that I wouldn't attend their funeral. There are others who said that I am heartless and too unpretentious, and I would tell them there's no one whose kin doesn't die," he added. Jet also shared that his youngest daughter Jada, now 22, had suicidal thoughts when she was 19 years old, and when she stepped out of it, both of them sat down to talk about afterlife arrangements. He said: "We had an honest conversation, because [death] is inevitable. Why should we avoid it? We had a good conversation about it. "A lot of people live with regrets and a life where they are not honest in facing situations. Because we are born, we will inevitably die. But we often said that death is not auspicious and shouldn't be talked about." Jet believes that rather than agonising about death, people should live their life well. He added: "Knowing that I will die, should I still worry about it every day till the day it happened, or knowing that it would happen someday, I should treasure the way I live every day? I think living well every day is more important." [[nid:719445]] Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928 Shan You Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 6741-0078 Fei Yue's Online Counselling Service: Tinkle Friend (for primary school children): 1800-2744-788
Straits Times
20-06-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
SAMH launches festival to raise mental health awareness among seniors
SINGAPORE – While some seniors blended tea and others came together in a drumming circle, Madam Kamala Devi Marimuthu was rolling dice in a game of mental wellness snakes and ladders. This adapted version of the childhood game encourages self-reflection by prompting players to answer questions related to everyday mental health challenges, and was among the 10 activities that seniors could partake in at an outreach festival organised by the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) on June 20. Madam Kamala found the game to be a dose of positivity. 'The volunteer who played the game with me was very friendly, he cracked a lot of jokes and made me really happy,' said the 80-year-old. The inaugural SAMH Golden Connect festival, being held at the non-profit's Space2Connect integrated wellness centre in Jalan Besar, is aimed at raising awareness of challenges faced by senior citizens, such as social isolation and mental health issues . Seniors aged 60 to 74 are the least likely age group to seek mental health support, whether from professionals or from their informal support networks, according to the 2023 National Population Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board. At the event, Central Singapore District Mayor Denise Phua underscored the importance of maintaining mental health as a person ages, given the close connection it has with physical well-being. She highlighted instances of elderly loneliness in Jalan Besar, and encouraged seniors both to look out for one another and to tap the support of organisations such as SAMH, especially for cases that do not require institutionalisation. 'As we get older, so do our neighbours. So please be more compassionate...(not) every time something happens, we must send them to the Institute of Mental Health,' she said. The festival also saw the debut of a mental health screening application powered by artificial intelligence that can detect symptoms of anxiety and depression for early intervention. The application, developed by Singapore-based company Opsis Emotion AI, involves a series of questions and video clips to be watched. As a person undergoes the 10-minute evaluation, the application assesses his emotional state through real-time analysis of facial expressions and body language, and produces a report for SAMH professionals to interpret. Ms Jane Goh, deputy director of creative services and youth at SAMH, said the tool complements the association's existing face-to-face screening processes. 'This is useful for clients who might not be able to articulate their emotions very well but might still want to convey certain things,' she said. The tool will be rolled out at SAMH's premises from June 20, and will eventually be extended to other age groups that SAMH supports, such as youth and adults. Among the 200 people that attended the festival on its opening day was Mr Hassan Arshad, 76. He felt that the activities were very meaningful, and looked forward to joining more of SAMH's programmes. Adjunct Associate Professor Lee Cheng, president of SAMH, said community outreach has been at the heart of the association's work since it was started in 1968, and remains a vital part of its efforts to support mental wellness across people's life stages. He noted that the two-day festival involved numerous community partners, including the Jalan Besar Active Ageing Centre, Kallang CC Community Drumming Circle, and student volunteers from Republic Polytechnic, the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and Raffles Girls' School. 'Through strong community partnerships, we can bridge gaps, build trust, and make support more accessible,' he added. 'We want every senior to know they are not alone, and that care and joy are within reach.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Justin Bieber asks public to stop urging him to 'heal', Entertainment News
Justin Bieber recently sparked concern among fans over his erratic social media posts, but he has seemingly addressed their comment in order to ask people to stop urging him to "heal" and admitted he is "exhausted" with having to think about himself all the time. The 31-year-old singer wrote: "People keep telling me to heal. "Don't you think if I could have fixed myself, I would have already? I know I'm broken. I know I have anger issues. "I tried to do the work my whole life to be like the people who told me I needed to be fixed like them. And it just keeps making me more tired and angrier. The harder I try to grow, the more focused on myself I am. "Jesus is the only person who keeps me wanting to make my life about others. Because honestly I'm exhausted with thinking about myself lately, aren't you?" His post came after Justin shared a message exchange with a friend, in which he fumed he would be cutting off for good after they seemingly criticised his actions. In a screenshot of the text exchange, he wrote: "I would never suppress my emotions for someone. Conflict is a part of relationship. If you don't like my anger, you don't like me. "My anger is a response to pain I have been through. "Asking a traumatised person not to be traumatised is simply mean." [embed] The unnamed pal insisted they could "see and feel" Justin's anger. They replied: "I'm not used to someone lashing out at me. It's not that I don't see and feel your anger." Justin then declared he was ending their friendship and insisted he "didn't need" the other person in his life. He wrote: "Ouch. This friendship is officially over. I will never accept a man calling my anger lashing out. I enjoyed our short-lived relationship. "I wasn't kidding when I told you I didn't need you as a friend. I have good friends who will respect these boundaries. I thought you were a p**** which is why I always kept my distance but I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. This confirms you were the p**** I always thought you were." He then sent a middle-finger emoji before his texting partner questioned: "I'm a p****?" Justin replied: "Blocking you now." The Love Yourself hitmaker — who has nine-month-old son Jack with wife Hailey Bieber — later shared a video on his Instagram Story in which he shook his head. It was captioned: "How I feel about you." Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928 Shan You Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 6741-0078 Fei Yue's Online Counselling Service: Tinkle Friend (for primary school children): 1800-2744-788 [[nid:718901]]
AsiaOne
11-05-2025
- Health
- AsiaOne
Not just the blues: Coping with postpartum depression as a working mum, Lifestyle News
Motherhood is often portrayed as a blissful, love-filled chapter. And while that might be true for some, there are also some new mothers whose reality is much more complex than that. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a real issue that some mothers might face, and coupled with having to return to the workplace like nothing has changed, it can add another heavy layer of stress to an already overwhelming time. But what exactly is PPD, and are all new mothers at risk? Speaking to AsiaOne, Voon Yen Sing, deputy director for clinical services at the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) describes it as a mood disorder that affects some women after childbirth. "It goes beyond the short-lived 'baby blues' and can include persistent and prolonged feelings of sadness, anxiety and fatigue that can interfere with daily life and bonding with the baby," she continued. "Mothers may feel overwhelmed, especially when juggling newborn care by themselves and managing other stressors such as taking care of older children, worrying about family's well-being and other real-life pressures." As for who is more prone to the mood disorder, experts explained that there are several factors that come into play. "Women who have a history of mental health challenges, limited social support, financial stress, marital or relationship dissatisfaction or a difficult pregnancy or birth may be more vulnerable. First-time mothers can also experience added pressure," Yen Sing stated. Dr Gillian Lim, consultant and chief of the central region at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), echoes this, also adding that while mothers with these risk factors are prone to PPD, it can also affect those without. She explained to AsiaOne: "People who are most prone to getting PPD will be, for example, mummies with a past history of depression or mental health problems before. It could also be mummies with very poor social support, low income, [are] very stretched financially, maybe [facing] unemployment, [and] families where perhaps there's also issues with domestic violence. So those tend to be the ones who will be at higher risk." "But of course, mummies with good support, who have no history of mental illness may also be at risk of getting postpartum depression," the psychiatrist added. Baby blues vs PPD So how do we differentiate between the more common 'baby blues' and PPD? According to the experts, the main difference lies in the intensity and longevity of symptoms. For those suffering from PPD, decreased mood and other negative feelings are much more chronic. Explaining to AsiaOne about the key differences, obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) Dr Lee Wai Yen from the Singapore Women's and Children's Medical Group shared that it's not uncommon for many new mothers to experience postpartum (or baby) blues. And in those cases, symptoms typically resolve within a month on their own, and mothers can still experience moments of happiness in between, unlike PPD, she added. "The symptoms of women with postpartum depression are more severe, exist almost all the time, last longer than two weeks or start later any time in the first year after giving birth. It does not resolve spontaneously without any help and therapy," the OBGYN stated. Additionally, PPD can also adversely affect a mother's daily function and ability to carry out her responsibilities. "The 'baby blues' usually pass quite quickly after childbirth and without help. PPD lasts longer and comes with more intense symptoms that disrupt a mother's ability to function or care for her baby," explained Yen Sing. According to Dr Lee, some symptoms of PPD include: Feelings of sadness or crying often Lack of enjoyment and loss of interest in activities Isolation Irritability and anger towards the baby and family members Trouble bonding with the baby Trouble sleeping at night Fatigue Being unable to concentrate and make decisions Negative talk about life being hopeless or meaningless Thoughts of harming the baby "Besides low mood and exhaustion, other symptoms may include a surge of dread at specific times of the day, such as nightfall when the newborn wakes up and needs to be fed. In more severe cases, there may be thoughts of self-harm," added Yen Sing. Returning to the workplace with PPD Going back into the office might be tough enough as is for most new mothers, and for those suffering from PPD, it can be extra difficult. Returning to the workplace means wearing another hat — which according to experts, is an additional stressor. "When you go back to a workplace, there's a lot of additional roles that you take on. You are then someone who maybe potentially supervises a team. You have your own tasks. You report to your superiors, and on top of the load that you have as a mum, as a wife, and as a new family, that's the additional load that comes on," said Dr Lim while explaining that the burden might be too much to bear for those suffering from PPD. "That's when their symptoms may worsen, or that's where maybe we find that they are unable to fulfil some of their duties as a mother because they're crying, or they feel like they have no energy to do this. And [in the] worst case, of course, we worry about the risks." "When they feel as if there's no escape from some of the stresses they have, and then they have thoughts of not waking up, or wanting to run away or wanting to harm themselves," she added. "In very rare instances, there are some mothers who feel like perhaps they may want to harm the baby as well. Those are really rare instances, but very dangerous." On top of the added responsibilities, another struggle that mothers with PPD might face in the workplace is judgement due to a lack of understanding. "There is a lack of awareness of postpartum depression in the local culture. Not just among work colleagues, even among family. Women might be judged as being 'incapable' when depression is affecting their work outcome or ability to look after the newborn," explained Dr Lee. Speaking to AsiaOne, Linda Teo, country manager for ManpowerGroup Singapore (a recruitment agency) also agrees with this, stating that while there are guidelines in place to prevent discrimination at work, "a lack of understanding of mental health conditions could inadvertently contribute to biases" and these biases "might manifest in various ways, potentially affecting career progression or opportunities". But not all hope is lost. According to the experts, there are certain measures that workplaces can take to help offer more support — such as more fluid work arrangements and increasing awareness. "Flexible work arrangements, supportive leave policies, and creating an open culture around mental health can make a difference. A simple check-in from the manager who listens without judgement is already a step towards greater mental health support," Yen Sing stated. In addition to flexible work arrangements, IMH's Dr Lim also suggested that child care leave, family care leave and the implementation of nursing booths or quiet spaces for breastfeeding mums to pump would also be a good touch to help mothers feel more supported. "A mum who is better supported and who's worrying less about her child who's in school or at home while she's at work then focuses better at work, and productivity will also increase," she explained. Creating a more inclusive company insurance package can also be beneficial. "Including mental health coverage in company insurance can also encourage employees to seek help. Health screenings should also cover mental health to identify issues early," said Dr Lee. Seeking help And for mothers who are suffering from PPD, experts emphasised that it's important to reach out. "Mothers need to extend compassion to themselves instead of demanding perfection. It's okay to struggle and not have everything together all the time. Though they may feel alone, they are not alone in their struggles. Reaching out for support is not a sign of weakness, it's a courageous and powerful step towards healing," stated Yen Sing. Dr Lee also adds that seeking professional advice is crucial for recovery. "Some women are too shy to seek professional help, such as seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist, either due to lack of awareness of postpartum depression, or that they do not know where to seek help or do not want to be labelled as 'incapable'. Perhaps speak to an obstetrician, someone [that] they are familiar with, may provide the initial guidance to the appropriate assessment and intervention," she said. Early intervention and support, such as talk therapy, counselling or sometimes medication are key to overcoming postpartum depression," Dr Lee added. Dr Lim also suggests that being aware even before the baby is born might help. "My first advice would be to people who are pregnant, even to those who have not even given birth. I think it's about understanding the resources that are available, understanding that there's no such thing as a perfect mum, being willing to ask for help and to get help," the psychiatrist encouraged, adding that she has also shared resources and more information on PPD on Clarity Singapore's The Birth of a Mother podcast. [[nid:713331]]
