Escalator at a train station (Photo by Ng Shi Wen)

“Are we OK with the price of not being OK?”: The mental health and well-being of Singaporeans (with former NMP Anthea Ong)

The links between mental health and well-being and Singapore’s general elections may not be immediately clear. Yet, in GE2020, during a pandemic election which also placed emphasis on how Singaporeans were doing psychologically, many electoral candidates and political parties campaigned on related platforms. With former nominated member of parliament Anthea Ong, we first asked her to assess the current state of mental health and well-being in Singapore. Then, we discuss how these issues may feature in the next general election, after examining recent parliamentary amendments which were made and passed in the Law Enforcement and Other Matters Bill.

Sitting by the fire.place: Positioning an AI therapist chatbot in a broader constellation of mental health and wellness support

Sitting by the fire.place: Positioning an AI therapist chatbot in a broader constellation of mental health and wellness support

With Norvin Chan, founder of the AI therapist chatbot fire.place where folks can vent their feelings, we learn about how users can interact with the chatbot, tech development process, and how his growing-up experience has informed his work. We conclude with a discussion of positioning fire.place in a broader constellation of mental health and wellness support, from professional help to community initiatives.

Contemplation on a beach (Photo by Stefan Spassov on Unsplash)

#AreWeOkay and the proposal for a Mental Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Office in Singapore

SG Mental Health Matters is a community of mental health advocates and researchers, and in 2021 they ran the #AreWeOkay poll to better understand the issues of access, affordability, and quality of mental healthcare in Singapore. With two of its members today – former nominated member of parliament Anthea Ong and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Rayner Tan – we learn more about the community’s work, the poll’s findings, and their proposal for a Mental Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Office in Singapore.

Nurses in blue walking out of a food court (Photo by Ng Shi Wen)

“Are we listening?”: Coalescing around downstream and upstream mental health action (Anthea Ong; COVID-19, one year on)

One year ago, we documented community initiatives and discussed structural challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. One year later, we are inviting the same guests back to talk about their work, how they are feeling, and what they think we have learnt or have yet to learn from the pandemic. Today, we have former nominated member of parliament Anthea Ong. Our conversation centres on mental and psychological health in Singapore as well as moving from awareness to acceptance to action. Anthea also shares the initiatives in which she’s been involved and her new podcast series, “Shades of Love”, set to launch on August 7 this year.