AIA Singapore poll shows that 50 per cent of the Singapore population thinks there is still a long way to go in dealing with mental health issues. The AIA Live Better Study 2024 by NielsenIQ is a quarterly survey of 500 Singapore consumers and the overall index of the holistic wellbeing has not improved and in fact even dropped from 61.7 in the previous year to 61.5 in the year 2024.

The study pointed out that people in Singapore reporting on mental wellness noted that about 51% of the respondents reported that they care for mental wellness more than before COVID 19 pandemic. However, 3 in 5 (59%) think they require or may require more help with or resources on mental health. The helped of following areas in overcoming mental health problems found that 66 percent of respondents found affordability as helpful, 53 percent found accessibility helpful and 51 percent found workplace initiatives helpful.

Among the discoveries made in the course of the analysis, it is imperative to underscore the rather striking fact of the stigmatized nature of mental health in Singapore. Singapore consumers are divided as they believe There is still a stigma around mental health: 6 out of 10 (58%) consumers in Singapore are of this opinion; Gen Z, especially, are more of this opinion: 73%. Such a perception may be partly to blame for a lack of people seeking medical attention for mental health problems.

The study also found that there is a desperate use of Singapore consumers to talk to someone else in order to get assistance and seek help when it comes to issues to do with mental health. Self-reliance remains slightly higher with 37% of the Singapore consumer’s with Mental Health issues saying they are capable of managing on their own on the other hand, 42% said high cost as the reason which put off them from seeking professional help. Also, 32% believe that they do not need formal help with their mental health.

In this paper we propose teleconsultation as a viable solution to providing mental health services in Singapore. About half of the Singapore consumers (47%) indicated a high willingness to access mental health through teleconsultation. Cited benefits include convenience 45%; easy and quick access to support during crises or other special circumstances 40%; and free choice of appointments 37%.

The Singapore private sector is also responding to mental health concerns in the following ways. The insurer that kicked off in 2019 was AIA Singapore as the initial insurer to provide for mental health in its named AIA Beyond Critical Care insurance plan. They have also been providing mental health coverage for corporate employees and along with WhiteCoat they brought Think Well, the South East Asia’s first and only comprehensive digital mental health platform.

Therefore as the government increases the efforts to implement new measures on early detection of mental health problems in Singapore more roles are created for public and private organizations to increase provision of services on mental health. This work highlights the need to reduce stigma around mental health; increasing availability and affordability of mental health care services; and encouraging companies to foster employee mental health.

The AIA Live Better Study 2024 is the most recent study featuring valuable data on mental health knowledge and assistance in Singapore. It emphasises the importance of joint action by all the parties and increasing mental health care accessibility, free of prejudice. Given that the development of the overall health of Singapore’s residents remains the main focus of Singapore’s further evolution, the need to address the issues pertaining to mental health will remain one of the most important goals towards the formation of a healthy society.