Health x Wellness
More Awareness Of Mental Disorders Needed
A study conducted in Singapore indicates a need to create more recognition for mental disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia.
The study, called The Mind Matters: A Study of Mental Health Literacy, was conducted among adults aged 18 to 65 years. Spearheaded by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), the study commenced in 2014 and obtained information on people’s recognition and beliefs about five mental disorders – alcohol abuse, Dementia, Major Depressive Disorder, OCD and Schizophrenia.
The study found that across the five disorders, recognition was highest for Dementia (66.3 per cent), followed by alcohol abuse (57.1 per cent) and Major Depressive Disorder (55.2 per cent). Recognition however was poorer for OCD (28.7 per cent) and Schizophrenia (11.5 per cent). Also, more than 88 per cent of those who were surveyed said seeking help from a psychiatrist would be helpful for people suffering from such mental disorders.
There was also stigma towards mental illness with the majority of the study participants sharing common perceptions such as – those with mental health issues could get better “if they wanted to”, the problem is a “sign of personal weakness” and people with such disorders are “unpredictable”.
