OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2010an iMh quaRTERly puBliCaTiOn

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Focushonouring Our Volunteers For Their Contributions

snapshotsMulti-agency Collaboration for Children’s Mental health

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IMHLINK

More than 140 IMH volunteers and guests had a morning of fun at the movies in Golden Village (GV) Vivocity on a Saturday morning on 11 December 2010.

The volunteers were treated to a scrumptious buffet breakfast in the foyer of GV. They took turns snapping fun photographs with specially made speech bubbles with phrases that encourage volunteerism. This annual volunteer appreciation day gives IMH volunteers from various organisations an opportunity to meet and network. Our Special Guest was Ms Tina Hung, Board Member of the Woodbridge Hospital Endowment Fund. One of our partners, Mr David Yong, Director of SG Cares, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Council, was also present to mingle with the volunteers.

IMH’s Chairman Medical Board A/Prof Rathi Mahendran welcomed the volunteers and thanked them for their “willingness to befriend the mentally unwell.” She commended their compassion for people with mental illness and commitment to want to help them.

Popcorn, Movie, ACTION!IMH Volunteers’ Day @ the Movies

BY PENNY CHUA, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

“I wish to congratulate and thank IMH for making the event an enjoyable and successful one. The event was well-planned -- photo taking session, breakfast buffet, movie and goodie bags. I’m sure the other participants had as much fun too. Thank you and it’s a job well done!”

Ms Koh Yun, IMH volunteer

Fun Facts on Volunteering at IMH: In 2010, 555 of our active IMH volunteers spent an estimated 2046 hours with our patients. Their activities include: accompanying our outpatients for their doctors’ appointments; bringing their dogs to offer pet therapy; organising concerts; cutting our patients’ hair; gardening; painting murals in the wards and bringing our patients for excursions. * If you are keen to touch our patients’ lives, join us as a volunteer.

Email: volunteer@imh.com.sg

  Everyone was excited to be among the first to watch the second sequel of The Chronicles of Narnia “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”. This is the first time IMH has held a volunteers appreciation event outside the hospital. And the volunteers loved the idea of going to the movies.

Our volunteers enjoying a moment of fun and bonding before the movie.

All ready for the movie to start!

“I had a wonderful time chatting with fellow volunteers and getting to know new ones. The photo taking session was innovative and a great idea. I was pleasantly surprised with the goodie bag on my seat when I entered the theatre. I wasn't expecting such a grand reception and felt really pampered during the event. Thank you for organising this event for the volunteers!”

Catherine Lim, IMH volunteer

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Safety Starts With Me!Patient Safety Carnival 2010

BY VERA SOO, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Celebrating Continuous Learning and ImprovementNHG Quality Day and IMH Kaizen Day

BY VERA SOO, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

It was a double celebration on 8 October - the 10th National Healthcare Group (NHG) Quality Day 2010 and IMH’s annual Kaizen Day were both held in IMH.

The events aimed at motivating our staff to strive for “Continuous Learning & Improvement” which is also the theme of the day. In his opening address, A/Prof Daniel Fung, Vice Chairman, Medical Board (Clinical Quality), made an impact with a humourous video on safety issues that he had specially created. The inspiring keynote address presented by Mr Senthiyl, Managing Director of The Arbinger Institute (South East Asia), emphasised the importance of “the heart in quality”, and how it denoted the core in pursuing quality.

The winning teams that had competed in the Kaizen Competition held earlier in August received their Kaizen Awards. An entertaining video featuring three projects from the competition was screened, conveying the message that “although the things we do may be

The ‘man’ had collapsed! It was a Code Blue situation. Immediately, the nursing team swung into action and began resuscitating the ‘victim’. Gradually, they managed to get a pulse and the ‘victim’ resumed breathing. Mission accomplished.

This and other exciting activities captured the attention of the audience at our annual Patient Safety Carnival, held over two days on 20 and 21 September. The Carnival aimed to remind our staff that everyone has a

role to ensure a safe environment for both patients and staff. The Carnival was abuzzed with activities which included a staged control-and-restraint demonstration. Staff were enthusiastically engaged in exciting games which tested their knowledge on patient, staff and environmental safety. The interactive learning experience was complete with prizes, and filled with much fun and laughter.

Mr Soh Gim Teik, Chairman, IMH Institutional Committee and NHG Board Member, officially opened the Carnival and launched the Patient Safety Booklet, the first-ever such publication in IMH for all staff involved in patient care. The booklet covers the factors involved in providing high-quality and safe care, and also contains commonly-used terms in six languages – English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, Tagalog and Myanmar. It is hoped that this handy booklet will better equip our staff to deliver optimum care and communicate more effectively, to ensure better outcomes for patients.

small, their impact may be great – therefore, we should never stop looking into ways of improving”.

Our staff also learnt much about Kaizen, its terminologies and methodologies, through fun games and activities.

* “Kaizen” refers to the Japanese word for continuous improvement to change things for the better.

Our nurses swinging into action to resuscitate the collapsed “victim”.

Our Guest-of-Honour Mr Soh Gim Teik (3rd from left) launching the Patient Safety Booklet.

CEO IMH Mr Leong Yew Meng (left) presenting a token of appreciation to Mr Senthiyl who delivered the keynote address.

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PS21 ExCEL AWARD – OUTSTANDING ACTIVIST For her active involvement in numerous quality activities for more than two decades, Mdm Chua Siew Hong (above right), Assistant Director of Nursing, has done us proud by winning the above award. She not just live out her passion for quality improvement but also helped others, especially her Nursing colleagues, along in this journey.

* The PS21 ExCEL Awards are given out every year to recognise the good ideas and contributions that individuals and teams have made within and beyond their organisation. The Outstanding Activist award recognises outstanding officers on the ground who have been pivotal in promoting ExCEL in their agencies.

IMH Staff Bag Awards for Outstanding PerformanceBY PENNY CHUA, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Over the past few months, the outstanding work of our staff has been honoured and their efforts recognised in several worthy awards and competitions. We are proud of their achievements and are certain that winning these awards will further spur them on to provide better care and service to our patients.

TAN CHIN TUAN AWARDWell-regarded by her co-workers and patients for her integrity, professionalism, humility, and compassion in caring for her patients, Principal Assistant Nurse, Lee Poh Gim (above right) was the first runner-up for this prestigious Award. She takes care of the chronically ill patients in the High Dependency

Psychiatric Care Unit. She received a specially-minted gold medallion and a cash prize of $2,000 during the award ceremony on 20 November. Poh Gim is indeed a shining example for all enrolled nurses!

* The Award, which was introduced in 2006 in memory of the late banker and philanthropist, Tan Sri (Dr) Tan Chin Tuan, is the highest accolade bestowed on an enrolled nurse in Singapore. The Award recognises exemplary Enrolled Nurses for their dedication to their patients; demonstrating excellence in their nursing careers; and making significant contributions to the nursing profession and the community.

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE GROUP (NHG) AWARDS 2010

Distinguished Achievement Award - A/P Daniel Fung , Chief and Senior Consultant, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (left photo - right)

Outstanding Citizenship Award - A/P Chiam Peak Chiang, Senior Consultant, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry (right photo - right)

Distinguished Contributor (non-staff) Award - Mrs Tan Poh Choo, IMH Medifund Committee

DUKE-NUS AND SINGHEALTH OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR (PSYCHIATRY CLERKSHIP): This is the second consecutive year that Asst Prof Swapna Verma, Chief and Consultant, Early Psychosis Intervention Programme, has been awarded this award in recognition of her impactful contribution towards the education of medical students. Congratulations Asst Prof Swapna!

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4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCHIZOPHRENIA 2010 POSTER PRESENTATION (3RD PRIZE):Well done Joycelyn Ling, Senior Psychologist, Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) for winning the competition held in India from 22 to 24 October 2010!

SINGAPORE HEALTH AND BIOMEDICAL CONGRESS (SHBC) - AWARDS

Three of our staff were recognised for their efforts in clinical research and study at the inaugural SHBC on 12 and 13 November, held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Congratulations to:

A/Prof Sim Kang, Consultant, Department of General Psychiatry- Singapore Clinician-Investigator Award (Bronze)- SHB Best Poster Award – Basic Science Research/ Translational Research (Gold)

* The Singapore Clinician-Investigator Award is the most prestigious award in the 1st SHBC Scientific Competition which recognises doctors who are active researchers contributing to the advancement of medical and health knowledge.

Benny Li Kaihui, Senior Pharmacist- Singapore Allied Health Award (Bronze)- SHB Best Poster Award Allied Health (Silver)

Zhou Zhenyu, Senior Staff Nurse- Singapore Nursing Award (Gold)

* Jointly organised by the National Healthcare Group (NHG) and the National University Health System, SHBC provides a platform for all healthcare professionals to share ideas, strategies and experiences with the aim of delivering the highest quality of care and health to our patients and our community.

NHG EXCELLENCE IN ACTION AWARDS IMH staff have been selected out of numerous cluster-wide nominations to receive these awards for exemplary service excellence. They have consistently demonstrated the NHG Care Values (Confidence, Attentiveness, Respect and Empathy); provided exceptional service to internal and external customers and also contributed significantly to work practices to improve customer service or patient safety. The winners are:

• Individual (Nursing): Doris Koh Sok Hian, Senior Nurse Manager, Emergency Service and Adeline Phu Hui Huang, Senior Staff Nurse (Clinic B)• Individual (Allied Health): Lim Hui Khim, Senior Counsellor and Deputy Head, Counselling Service, National Addictions Management Service

NHG EXCELLENCE IN ACTION AWARDS (cont’d)• Individual (Ancillary): Hassan bin Abu Karim, Healthcare Attendant (Wd 74B)• Individual (Executive/Admin): Oh Sze Mei, Administrative Assistant, Ambulatory Services• Leadership: Vicki Lee Lai Yoke, Senior Staff Nurse (Geylang Behavioural Medicine Clinic) and Tan Lay Wu, Nurse Manager, Nursing Admin• Team: REACH (Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health) Team South (Photo below)

NHG EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR TEACHING

• NHG Excellence Award in Teaching - Junior Faculty (NHG Residents & Registrars): Dr Alvin Liew, Associate Consultant, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry• NHG Excellence Award in Teaching - Senior Faculty (Assoc Consultants & above): Dr Seng Kok Han, Consultant, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry

* The NHG Excellence Award for Teaching is awarded annually to doctors to recognise them for their contributions in coaching and mentoring medical students and junior doctors.

CLINICAL PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

AWARDS • Merit Award: Led by Tri Susila Indrajaya, Nurse Clinician (left photo - right) Project: To reduce the number of incidence of water intoxication in four long stay wards by 80 percent in six months’ time.

• Sustainability Award: Led by Chee Kok Seng, Principal Pharmacist (Clinical) (right photo - right) Project: To achieve 80 percent success in dosage reduction of benzhexol in stable chronic Schizophrenic outpatients of Community Wellness Centre in six months.

* The Best and Merit Project awards recognise outstanding projects and participants’ contribution toward clinical quality improvement in their institutions. The Sustainability Award recognises projects that have achieved sustained positive outcomes, with the potential for spread within the institution or cluster.

(From left) Senior Pharmacist Benny Li, A/Prof Sim Kang and SSN Zhou Zhenyu.

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We have often heard about the merits of positive psychology. We speak to our Clinical Psychologist Dr Muriel Lin for more details.

Ask the Expert DR MURIEL M. LIN (PH.D)

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Q: What is positive psychology and what are its benefits?

A: Positive psychology was first introduced by an American Clinical Psychologist, Dr Martin Seligman in 1998.

According to Dr. Seligman, most people tend to focus on the negative aspects of our daily lives. Often times, the human potential of resilience against everyday obstacles is de-emphasised and ignored.

The main purpose of positive psychology is to promote the

idea of discovering and developing such resilience capacity within every individual. People can use such resilience not only to properly manage the periods of down times in their lives, but also to prevent further deterioration of their mental state.

Q: Is this the same as positive thinking? How can we put positive psychology into practice and improve our lives?

A: Positive thinking is the integral part of positive psychology. However, most of us tend to think of the worse scenario almost immediately when something negative happens in our lives. This is the usual ABC thought pattern of a person affected by negative circumstances:

A - Adversity - You believe you have no ability to change the adverse situation that you are in

B - Belief - You eventually believe that you are “powerless”

C - Consequence - You think that no matter what you do and how hard you try, you will still get a negative result

To counteract such debilitating thoughts, add two more steps

once you are aware of the above negative thought pattern.

D - Disputation - Begin to challenge the distorted thoughts and start to look for a solution.

E - Energising - Empower yourself by reviewing how you are able to solve the problem. Instead of minimising your capacity to problem solve, give yourself a well deserved praise, no matter how small the achievement may be.

Q: How does Positive Thinking help a person handle others’ comments?

A: A patient I had been helping for the past year has successfully used positive thinking to help manage her emotions. Her friends used to tell her that she was being “excessively sensitive” to remarks made by others. Sometimes, a general comment about her would make her feel brutally criticised. For example, if someone said she looked very tired, she would then assume the worse and felt that the person was saying she was weak or useless. Such negative thinking adversely affected her life and her relationship with others. She felt helpless and spiralled into despair. During the consultation, she was encouraged to enlist the use of positive thinking to help. Seeing some improvements in her condition, she was motivated to work on the change. After much practice, she is now able to think more positively and is able to cope better with situations that she was not able to handle in the past.

Q: How does one make Positive Thinking a habit?

A: Positive thinking usually does not become a natural response within a short period. It takes time and continuous practice and the individual needs to make a conscious effort to self-train. If necessary, individuals may seek professional help to cultivate the beneficial habit of positive thinking into a life changing experience.

Q: Where can one seek professional help?

A: A Clinical Psychologist who specialises in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help an individual leverage on positive thinking to develop resilience.

* IMH offers various forms of psychological consultation. The individual would require an initial assessment by a psychiatrist, who may then refer him to a psychologist.

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Associate Professor Wong Kim Eng, Clinical Director, National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) was conferred the honourable title of Emeritus Consultant (EC) during our Doctors’ Nite 2010 celebrations in October. Two other doctors who had received the EC title were Prof Chee Kuan Tsee (2003) and the late Dr Ang Ah Ling (2004).

The title of Emeritus Consultant is only conferred upon outstanding clinicians by recommendation of the Chairman Medical Board (CMB) and with the endorsement of the Chief Executive Officer. For her tireless dedication to elevate the level of psychiatric care for the nation during her three decades with IMH, A/Prof Wong truly deserves the recognition for her achievements.

In her citation for A/Prof Wong, CMB A/Prof Rathi Mahendran described her as a “mentor, teacher, patient advocate, expert consultant, administrator and clinician. A/Prof Wong assumed all these roles and executed them effortlessly in her illustrious career which started with the then Woodbridge Hospital (WH), and now IMH.”

A/Prof Wong joined WH as a Medical Officer in 1980 and was appointed the CMB of IMH in 2002, which she served for two terms. Over the years, A/Prof Wong has held many appointments and chaired numerous initiatives, including taking up the Clinical Directorship for NAMS in 2008 and chairing IMH’s Quality Assurance Committee and the Hospital Ethics

A/Prof Wong Kim Eng Appointed Third Emeritus Consultant

Committee. She grew an addiction research unit in NAMS which saw a resulting increase in research projects, publications, and oral/poster presentations. Under her leadership and guidance, NAMS published their inaugural book this year on the treatment of pathological gambling in Singapore – “Don’t gamble your life away! Help for pathological gamblers”.

One of A/Prof Wong’s most enduring legacies is the National Mental Health Blueprint, where she began the journey as the Co-Chair of the National Mental Health Committee in 2005 and later assumed the position of Chairman of the National Mental Health Blueprint Committee in 2007 to oversee the programmes embodied in the Blueprint.

For her various contributions, A/P Wong was awarded the Public Service Medal (Silver), National Healthcare Group Outstanding Citizenship and IMH’s 30-year long service awards in 2005. In 2009 she received the Long Service Medal for her exemplary service and contributions.

In her acceptance speech, A/Prof Wong said in her usual unassuming decorum, “There are still a lot more to be done at IMH and much to learn in psychiatry. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful colleagues.”

Our heartiest congratulations to A/Prof Wong! We wish her many more fulfilling years in her work with the mentally ill.

A/Prof Wong Kim Eng (left) being conferred the honourable title of Emeritus Consultant by IMH CEO Mr Leong Yew Meng during Doctors’ Nite 2010.

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Autism can affect the way individuals interpret and interact with the world as well as the ability of others to understand and interact with these very complex individuals.

On 27 November, about 200 teachers from mainstream and special needs schools, occupational therapists and members of the public, attended a free public forum on autism organised by IMH and supported by the Health Promotion Board.

Understanding and Supporting the Child with Autism Public forum and photo exhibition

BY BUNDLE GOH, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

“During my years as a paediatric occupational therapist, many parents have expressed the desire to have their child be better understood and appreciated for who they are. Events such as this public forum help make that wish a reality. The interest and involvement of the community who attended this forum was impressive.”

Ms Shay McAtee, Pediatric Occupational Therapist,

University of Southern California (USC), USA and professional photographer

A/Prof Daniel Fung, Chief, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, gave the opening address while Dr Sung Min, Consultant Psychiatrist, Child Guidance Clinic, shared her expertise on understanding the child with autism and related mental health disorders. Guest speaker, Ms Shay McAtee, a very experienced occupational therapist and professional photographer from the US, enthralled the audience with a heartwarming presentation on her insights from working with children affected with autism spectrum. Ms McAtee has over 30 years of experience working with children with disabilities, including children on autism spectrum.

A photo exhibition by Ms McAtee that ran concurrently helped to provide insights into the little known world of children with autism; it hoped to bridge our world with theirs. The portraits in the exhibition were an invitation to look into the eyes of those who often have difficulty looking back into ours; to see beyond the external behaviors and to see the child and the spirit within. The strong attendance for both the forum and exhibition is a positive indication that educators and the public are more aware of autism and are keen to learn more to help these children.

(From left) A/Prof Daniel Fung, Ms Shay McAtee and Dr Sung Min engaging the participants during the Q&A session.

Ms Shay McAtee sharing her experiences working with autistic children.

Participants viewing the photo exhibition.

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“Think and Act Positive” World Mental Health Day 2010 BY DEBORAH KOH, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

World Mental Health Day (WMHD) on 10 October is a global awareness campaign focusing on mental health and mental disorders, seeking to promote better understanding and more open discussion of mental disorders.

This year, IMH partnered the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and 11 other agencies and volunteer welfare organisations in a two-day WMHD event at Marina Square. The event aimed to encourage Singaporeans to “Be Positive” and take a step forward to boost their mental well-being. It also sought to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental illness.

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Manpower, graced the event. Highlights included a ‘Positive Art Maze’ which allowed visitors to walk through a maze and learn about the ‘Five Steps to Positivity’ while penning positive messages to their loved ones on the walls of the maze.

Visitors to the event could also pen their words of encouragement alongside their caricatures drawn by an on-site caricaturist, on the “Wall of Positivity”. Other activities included designing your own tote bag emblazoned with a positive message, booths offering free airbrush tattoos, and a giant Jenga set – all aimed at creating a fun-filled environment where tips on staying happy and positive were shared.

The week before, as a run-up to the main event, IMH took part in a community engagement event at United Square with HPB. Themed “Picture Perfect”, the IMH booth focused on fostering and celebrating positive family relationships. The event drew positive and enthusiastic responses from the 3,800-strong crowd.

In yet another event, our Community Mental Health Team participated in the WMHD carnival organised by Silver Ribbon (Singapore) in collaboration with Geylang Serai Community Club. Educational brochures were given out and a video clip on our CMHT services was screened so that members of the public would be aware of the services and where to seek help.

Twelve of our patients also joined in the celebrations. Their artworks were selected for the “Mind Painters” exhibition which featured the work of people with mental illness from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Viewing their own artwork as part of a real exhibition gave them a great sense of achievement.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Hawazi Daipi (5th from left) with staff from IMH and HPB.

Participants picking up useful information on mental health at the IMH booth.

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More than 100 participants from some 50 agencies and volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) involved in mental health promotion and education, and supporting people and families with mental health issues, came together on 4 November 2010 for a mental health networking event jointly organised by IMH, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and the Health Promotion Board.

This inaugural event was well-received by the participants as it was a good platform to encourage exchange among agencies and VWOs on best practices and how to better synergise services and programmes for clients’ benefits.

Heartened by the positive response to the event, the organisers will work towards having the next networking

Never Too Late to Pursue One’s PassionIMH Senior Staff Nurse awarded Silver Medal for Academic Achievement

BY DEBORAH KOH, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

After 15 years of working in the Information Technology (IT) industry, Jeffrey Woo decided to change his career tracks in 2004. At age 46, he decided to pursue a Diploma in Nursing and subsequently joined IMH as a staff nurse and is today a case manager with the Aged Psychiatry Community Assessment and Treatment Service (APCATS).

It was not for a bigger pay or a higher position but to fulfill his passion to care for others. It was a difficult decision for Jeffrey to move from IT to an entirely different field. But as time went by, Jeffrey found working as a nurse extremely rewarding and there was no looking back since.

Inaugural Mental Health Networking EventBY BUNDLE GOH, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

“Seeing an improvement in the mental well-being of my patients brings great satisfaction to me. Working with the elderly and their caregivers in APCATS is very meaningful and enjoyable. I’ve no regrets joining this worthwhile career.”

Jeffrey Woo, Senior Staff Nurse, APCATS

After he attained his Diploma in Nursing, he pursued the Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Gerontology) because he has a keen interest to work with the elderly. The learning never stopped and he went on to further his studies. In September 2010, Jeffrey’s efforts paid off and he received a Silver Medal for Academic Achievement when he attained his Bachelor of Nursing Degree, from the University of Sydney, in conjunction with SIM Global Education. His degree was accredited by the Singapore Nursing Board.

Jeffrey shared that though juggling work and studies simultaneously was not an easy feat, his decision to return to school to take up the course allowed him to upgrade his skills and practice nursing even more effectively. Our heartiest congratulations to Jeffrey for his accomplishments!

event in early 2011 so that more agencies and VWOs can join in, and share ideas and programmes as well as explore potential collaborative efforts.

Jeffrey (right) interacting with his elderly patient during a home visit.

Dr Chua Hong Choon, Vice Chairman Medical Board (Clinical) presenting Singapore’s mental health landscape to our community partners.

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IMH has introduced a new clinical service from October 2010 to help patients with affective disorders.

Affective or mood disorders are mental illnesses characterised by a consistent, pervasive alteration in mood, and affecting thoughts, emotions and behaviors. These include major depressive and bipolar disorders. Sufferers with such disorders will have extremes of mood along with other symptoms such as sleep and appetite troubles, problems with energy and even thoughts of harm to self or others.

New Service to Help Those with Affective DisordersBY PENNY CHUA, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Affective disorders are very prevalent and encompass a number

of disorders. The cause is usually multi-factorial with genetics, personality, upbringing and the environment playing a role. Most cases can be treated by our specialists though there may be a few that are treatment resistent or complex that require further interventions.

The Affective Disorders Service (ADS) aims to provide intensive multidisciplinary care for this group of patients. Such patients will undergo case management and close follow-up until they are more stable. The ADS also provides continual patient education and will collect data for further research into these conditions. The service also accepts referrals for second opinions.

* ADS is available at Clinic A and Sayang Wellness Clinic at IMH.

Three facilities specialising in paediatrics, psychiatry, and neuroscience research are now under one roof at the St Andrew’s Community Hospital in Simei - REACH (Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health) East, the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences’ (SICS) Neurocognitive Development Centre, and the Satellite Clinic of KKH Department of Child Development (DCD). The work of these agencies revolves around different aspects of children’s mental health and development.

The multidisciplinary REACH teams work closely with school counsellors and educational psychologists from MOE, voluntary welfare organisations, and general practitioners to identify and provide early intervention for at-risk children and adolescents. The DCD clinic focuses on pre-schoolers, providing intervention and treatment for those with developmental needs, including learning difficulties. Completing the picture is the Neurocognitive Development Centre, which conducts key research in children’s neurocognitive development, focusing on factors that determine individual differences in mental health and cognitive function, and which may have important implications on one’s risk of developing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer’s or other neurocognitive disorders.

It is envisioned that siting these facilities together will foster greater collaborative efforts by psychiatrists, researchers and paediatricians as they exchange knowledge and develop various initiatives for early intervention, research and programmes for children in Singapore.

* REACH is a community-based programme under the National Mental Health Blueprint for children of school going age.

Multi-Agency Collaboration for Children’s Mental Health BY VERA SOO, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

“This holistic approach to children’s mental health and development needs attends not just to the present – using clinical treatment and interventions – but also to the future, via research and its application. In this light, the alliance between REACH, DCD, and SICS indeed has great potential and we look forward to the fruit that our collaboration will bear for the young generation.”

A/Prof Daniel Fung, Project Director, REACH,

Chief and Senior Consultant, Department of Child and

Adolescence Psychiatry, IMH

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Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art materials, such as paints, chalk, and markers as its primary mode of communication. It combines traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with an understanding of the psychological aspects of the creative process, especially the affective properties of the different art materials.

Art Therapy: Dispelling Its MythsBY VERA SOO, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

MYTH TRUTH

Clients/patients referred for art therapy need to be good at art.

They need not have previous experience or skill in art, because the art therapist is not primarily concerned with making an aesthetic or diagnostic assessment of the client/patient’s image. The purpose of art making is for expression and communication, and can be particularly helpful to people who find it hard to express their thoughts and feelings verbally.

If a client uses lots of black in his art image, it means he is depressed.

Colour meaning is personal, and the significance of any given colour may have a cultural basis too. What matters more is what the client says about or how he describes the image.

The art therapist is able to analyse the client’s artwork and see hidden meaning.

The art therapist may find parts of the image thought-provoking or wonder if it has significance – and occasionally, unconscious themes do arise – but it is what the client says about his artwork that is significant.

It is like an art class. Art Therapy follows the same principles as a psychotherapeutic relationship. We create a safe environment where there is confidentiality and a relationship of trust with the therapist whose role is to guide the patient on how to use the materials, not teach him how to make an artwork.

Kirsty McTaggart, who joined IMH as a senior Art Therapist recently, shared: “Similar to other psychotherapeutic modality, the purpose of art therapy is to improve or maintain mental health and emotional well-being.”

Using their skills in evaluation and psychotherapy, art therapists choose materials and interventions appropriate to their clients’ needs and can design sessions to achieve therapeutic goals and objectives. Through the creative process, clients increase their insight and judgment, cope better with stress, work through traumatic experiences, increase cognitive abilities, have better relationships with family and friends, increase understanding of the self, with the additional benefit of the pleasure of the creative experience.

Art also allows one to express oneself imaginatively, authentically, playfully and spontaneously, an experience that, over time, can lead to personal fulfillment, emotional reparation and recovery.

She concludes by reiterating that the focus in art therapy is not on the aesthetics of the images. “Art therapists do not look for nice pictures, nor do we guide or teach clients to produce works of art. Fundamentally, we are concerned with the process,” she said.

* Kirsty works with both adults and children as well as helping patients with addictions problems.

Our patient engrossed in art therapy.

An artistic piece by one of our patients.

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The plight of persons with mental illness often goes unnoticed. They are ostracised, misunderstood and often struggle with loneliness. Most of all, they face great challenges in finding jobs.

As such, we are grateful that since the launch of our Job Club in November 2009, many supportive companies have come forward to provide our patients with opportunities to improve their lives through meaningful employment. Research has shown that employment and community integration are key factors to boost self-esteem, which in turn keep patients independent in the community.

On 19 November 2010, Job Club hosted an appreciation lunch to thank our employer partners. More than 20 employers representing 17 organisations who have been working closely with us, attended the informal get-together. These employers come from different industries which include food and beverage, housekeeping, hospitality, retail, and transport.

Two of our patients shared their stories of how they have been successfully placed in jobs through Job Club. One of our supportive partners, Mr Kenneth Mark Yong, General Manager of Xin Wang Hong Kong Café, also shared his experience of working with the mentally unwell with the other employers and how to achieve a win-win situation when employing recovering patients.

Giving Recovering Patients a Second ChanceAppreciation Lunch for Our Employer Partners

BY PENNY CHUA, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

We look forward to the continued support of these partners and hope to expand the pool of employers further in the coming years.

* If your company is interested in providing job opportunities to our recovering patients, please contact IMH Job Club at enquiries@jobclub.sg.

In November 2010, our Child Guidance Clinic (CGC) in Outram welcomed an ex-colleague as our new Visiting C o n s u l t a n t . Dr Tian Cheong Sing had previously worked at the CGC from 1995 to 2000. He brings with him many years of experience gathered during his stint in private practice.

New Visiting Consultant for Child Guidance ClinicBY BUNDLE GOH, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Dr Tian holds a Master of Medicine in Psychiatry from the National University of Singapore and specialises in helping children and adolescents with a range of emotional, behavioural and learning problems; adults with psychiatric disorders and couples in marital therapy.

Says Dr Tian of his appointment: ”My early training and some of my best memories have been the few years I spent working in CGC. The experience of working with a multidisciplinary team has been invaluable. The friendship I have built with my colleagues previously still remains strong today. I am looking forward to the many opportunities to interact with my friends again and to contribute to the teaching and mentoring of the younger generation of mental health professionals."

We wish Dr Tian many more happy and fruitful years in helping our young patients and their families!

Our patient (left) who had found a job through Job Club, sharing his working experience with our employer partners.

Helping our young patients at CGC is Dr Tian Cheong Sing, our new Visiting Consultant.

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心理卫生学院志愿工作简介:

2010年，我们有 555 名活跃的心理卫生学院志愿人士。他们共投入 2046 个小时来协助我们的患者。义务活动包括：陪伴患者赴诊、提供宠物疗治、组织音乐会、 为患者理发、修整花园、为病房壁画上色、带患者远足等。

* 如果您要协助改善患者的人生，请加入当个愿工作者： 电邮：volunteer@imh.com.sg

爆米花、电影、开始！心理卫生学院志愿人士@电影联欢会

蔡盈盈, 企业通讯部

2010年12月11日，超过140名心理卫生学院的志

愿人士和嘉宾，愉快地在怡丰城嘉华戏院度过了

的礼拜六的早晨。

志愿人士们获得热情款待，在戏院大厅享受了丰

盛的自助早餐。他们还轮流拍摄趣味照片，这些

照片里有彩色的气泡状对话框，印有鼓励志愿人

士的话语，非常有趣。这样一年一度的志愿人士

日极为难得，让来自不同机构的志愿人士愉快交

流，互相结识，建立人脉。本次活动的特别嘉宾

是板桥医院慈善基金董事王玉珍小姐。本院的工

作伙伴，新加坡关怀（SG Cares）董事兼全国志

愿与慈善理事会董事冯仁伟先生也参与其中，与

志愿人士亲切交流。

心理卫生学院医疗委员会主席Rathi Mahendran

副教授致词，欢迎志愿人士出席活动，并感谢他

们“愿意跟心理疾病患者做朋友”。她也表扬志

愿人士有怜悯之心，乐于协助患者。

在场的志愿人士得以率先观赏电影《纳尼亚传奇--

黎明踏浪号》，都很开心。心理卫生学院在院外

举行这类感谢志愿者的活动，这还是第一次。志

愿人士也对看电影联欢活动赞不绝口。

心理卫生学院把这项活动搞得有声有色，非常成功。我谨

此感谢学院并献上祝贺。整个活动组织有方：拍照、自助

早餐、电影与礼包等等，都颇具新意。大家一定都玩得很

开心。干得好，谢谢您！Koh Yun小姐，

心理卫生学院志愿人士

志愿人士们摆好姿势拍照留念；这是我们的节日。

准备好了，电影要开始喽！

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何 谓 积 极 心

理 学 ？ 有 何

益处？

积极心理学由美国

临 床 心 理 学 家 马

丁·塞利格曼博士

于1988年首创。

塞 利 格 曼 博 士 认

为：人们多倾向于

关注日常生活中的

负面因素。久而久

之 ， 往 往 不 强 调

甚至忽略人类对抗

日 常 障 碍 的 韧 性

潜能。

因此，积极心理学的主要功能，就在于促进人们发

掘、发展个人的坚韧特性。人如有韧性，则不但能妥

善管理人生逆境，而且能够防范心理健康下滑。

这跟积极思维是否一样？我们如何将积极心理学付诸

实践，以改善生活？

积极思维是积极心理学主要的一部分。但是，生活中

一出现不如意的局面，人们往往立即往坏的方面想。

身处逆境的人，一般出现ABC的思考模式：

A - Adversity - 即无助。坚信身陷逆境，无法

脱身。

B - Belief - 即确信。最终确信自己“无能

为力”。

C - Consequence - 即后果。认为无论如何努力

最终仍是负面结局。

您一旦了解上述负面思考模型的存在，就可再加两个

步骤与这些削弱意志的思绪抗衡。

专家咨询林孟仪博士临床心理学家，心理科部门心理卫生学院

D - Disputation - 即争辩。开始质疑扭曲的思

并寻找解决方案。

E - Energising - 即激励。激励自己，审视解

问题的方法。与削减其您解

问题的能力，倒不如不论成

多小都给自己鼓励打气。

积极思维如何协助患者对待他人的批评？

我去年协助的某患者，成功运用积极思维方式控制情

绪。她的朋友爱说她对别人的评语“极度敏感”。有

时，很普通的评语也会让她觉得遭受严厉批评。比

如，如果有人说她显得很累，她就会往坏处想，觉得

那人其实是说她衰弱没用。这种负面思绪严重影响她

的人生，损坏人际关系。她觉得无助，陷入绝望。我

给她心理咨询辅导时，鼓励她利用积极思维方式来管

理情绪。她看到病情有些好转，更有信心继续改变。

经过不断练习，她已经能够以积极的方式思考，过去

无法处理的局面，现在也能应付了。

如何使积极思维成为习惯？

积极思维一般无法在短期内培养成自然反应。要花时

间不断练习，还要有有意识地自我训练。如有需要，

必须寻求专业协助，以培养积极思维的习惯，并从中

获益，改变人生。

到哪里寻求专业协助？

从事认知行为疗法的临床心理学家可协助您利用积极

思维来开发韧性。

* 心理卫生学院提供不同形式的心理咨询服务。有意求助者须先接受精神科医生的初步评估，然后 再转介给心理学家。

问咨

询专

家

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The Young and the TroubledA Public Forum on Youth Mental Health

Mental health problems and high-risk behavior are among the most important health issues facing young people today. They can distress and disable individuals for life, and even threaten the lives of our youth. Youth culture also demands that they be engaged differently in order for them to receive help.

Learn about the early warning signs of emotional and psychological problems in youths from mental health experts. Find out more about a study that involves identifying youth-at-risk.

A MUST for parents, young people, school staff and community workers!

Date: Sunday, 9 January 2011Time: 2.00 pm – 5.00 pmVenue: Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre, Theatre Level 2Fee: $10 per person; student: $5 (includes refreshments) To register, email your name and contact details to imhresearch@imh.com.sg or call 6389 3642.

Programme Highlights:

• 21st Century Solutions to Youth Mental Health Care Professor Patrick McGorry, Professor of Youth Mental Health,

University of Melbourne; Clinical Director, Orygen Youth Health, Melbourne; Executive Director, Orygen Research Centre, Australia and Australian of the Year 2010

• Something’s Just Not Quite Right – Understanding Youth- at-Risk

Associate Professor Chong Siow Ann, Vice-Chairman Medical Board (Research), Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Institute of Mental Health

• SOS Approach to Working With Youth-At-Risk Mrs Tan-Lee Yoke Yin, Deputy Director, Samaritans of

Singapore (SOS).

This is a public engagement effort commissioned by the National Medical Research Council, Singapore and organised by IMH & LYRIKS (Longitudinal Youth-at-Risk Study).

CERT NO.: 99-2-1013ISO 9001 : 2008

CERT NO.: 2003-0229ISO 14001 : 2004

CERT NO.: OHS-2003-0064BS OHSAS 18001 : 2007

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

For any enquiries on IMH Link,please write to: The Editor Corporate Communications Department Institute of Mental Health Buangkok Green Medical Park 10 Buangkok View Singapore 539747

or email us: enquiry@imh.com.sg

EDITORIAL TEAM

Advisor Ting Mei See

Editor Penny Chua

Circulation Coordinator Chris Ngiam

Committee MembersJamilah BeeviEddie ChuaDing Xiao DongShawn EeDeborah Koh

Fiona FooVera Soo

All rights reserved. For re-prints of any article, please write to the Corporate Communications Department.

The management and staff of IMH wish everyone a

HAPPY AND HEALTHY YEAR IN 2011!

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