Singapore can tackle deeper forms of stigma through empowerment

In recent years, Singapore has made important strides in addressing mental health stigma.

- Daniel Fung

National campaigns like the multiyear initiative Beyond the Label by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS); studies such as the Institute of Mental Health’s (IMH) Mind Matters: A Study of Mental Health Literacy (2016 and 2024); and the NCSS Quality of Life Study point to a slow but meaningful shift in public attitudes.

Encouragingly, social stigma around mental health is on the decline. More Singaporeans today are willing to speak openly about anxiety or depression, and seeking help is increasingly seen asa sign of strength rather than weakness.

Yet beneath this progress, two more insidious forms of stigma persist: self-stigma and structural stigma.

Self-stigma is when individuals internalise negative stereotypes about mental illness, and it remains a significant barrier to help-seeking. A previous study by IMH with about 300 patients showed that many people with mental health conditions continued to perceive themselves as less capable or worthy.

Structural stigma, meanwhile, manifests in policies and systems that inadvertently marginalise people with mental health conditions: employment discrimination, barriers to insurance, and a lack of sustained workplace accommodations are some examples.

A powerful example is that of a young woman - let’s call her Valerie — whom I first met when she was just 14. Valerie struggled with intense self-doubt and emotional turbulence, at times convinced she was a “psychopath” due to her perfectionistic tendencies and high expectations from her parents.