Opinion: Volunteers can play an important role in the rehabilitation of patients in the long staying wards of the Institute of Mental Health: An open Public Suggestion to the Singapore Government

I applaud the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for their untiring efforts in helping long-stay psychiatric patients reintegrate back into society with a new rehabilitation programme (“A new dream for IMH long-stayers”; The Sunday Times –  Sunday 1 October 2017)

Well trained volunteers who exercise patience, empathy and compassion will be an excellent position to offer friendship to patients with mental illness who will feel loved and care for. Such social stimulation with reminiscence therapy conversations, combined with singing, games and storytelling by volunteers on a regular basis that can bring some enjoyment to those in the long-staying wards is the first step to getting the patients there to understand that that they are not alone in this world. 

Once the patients feel loved, the confidence they gain is the second step that will motivate them to learn a skill, secure a job and get back into society. 

The third step is to organise outings for the recovering patients as recreation is important for those who have been cooped up for years.

During my visits to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), I have met some of our loving and caring volunteers – locals as well as foreigners, and it is so heartwarming to see them give their time and energy to bring a smile on the faces on the mentally ill. Those who have much love in their hearts and know how to feel for another human being would want to pass it on – and sometimes it breaks their hearts to see patients in their predicament.

During my conversation with a young Filipino volunteer on one Sunday, she broke down and cried when speaking of the plight of psychiatric patients.  It is no big deal for her and her whole group of domestic helpers to sacrifice their only day off in the week to bring happiness to the mentally ill. 

Right now, community visits to IMH is restricted to certain wards, but maybe it is time to cast the net wider by extending these community visits to the long-staying wards as well so that visitors will have a clearer understanding of mental illness and witness firsthand how patients there cope – and to see what the job entails for our dedicated healthcare workers.

With this suggested programme in place, IMH might just be able to secure more volunteers as they might be deeply touched by the plight of patients in the long-staying wards, some of whom have been abandoned by their relatives. Under the training of IMH healthcare workers, the volunteers together with the nurses can gradually bring these patients for outings.   As a pilot project a small number of patients – maybe around 4-5 could be taken to see the outside world.

It is by no means easy to secure volunteers, so an effective way is for those volunteering to have their contributions factored in their staff appraisals (for workers) and in the case of students, in their reports cards. For volunteers who give their time and energy to bring sunshine into the lives of the mentally ill, it also a learning journey for them as they can better understand what psychiatric patients go through trying to cope with the various brain disorders.  To some extent, it’s in a certain way – public education, and when more people are educated on mental health issues, we can slowly, but surely remove the stigma that plagues the mentally ill.

 RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO