The increase in the number of people seeking help for mental health issues has prompted the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) to start an initiative that provides therapy through art.
The Creative Mindset Hub, which officially opened yesterday (1 Dec) at Our Tampines Hub, uses workshops such as storytelling and watercolour painting to promote mental well-being.
The World Health Organisation reported in October that one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives.
Global studies have described the positive impact of the arts on mental well-being.
A growing body of evidence suggests that engaging in the visual arts for adults with mental health conditions can reduce depression and anxiety, increase self-respect and encourage re-engagement with the wider world.
Creative Mindset Hub, which began operations in June, joins public service agencies at Our Tampines Hub to provide the art therapy. Its partners include the People’s Association and Tampines GRC Community Arts and Culture Clubs.
Art coordinator Dorothy Lim, who helps run the workshops, said the sessions use art as a form of expression and as a tool to reduce stigmatisation. “It is open to anyone. The main purpose is to create a group where people from all walks of life can come together to create art… It does not matter what illness you have.”
President Halimah Yacob told yesterday’s opening ceremony of the importance of having the community work together to help others overcome mental health conditions and the stigma surrounding them.
“In recent years, Singapore has made progress in lifting the stigma of mental health conditions and strengthening preventive and rehabilitative mental healthcare for all,” she said. “The Hub aims to be a key part of our holistic healthcare system and bring quality mental healthcare closer to the community.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 2 December 2018