An alarming one in seven Singapore residents has experienced a mental health condition in their lifetime (ref: Singapore Mental Health Study 2016 conducted by IMH) while 7 in 10 respondents of an NCSS survey believed that persons with mental health conditions experience stigma and discrimination. Amongst the Indian community, evidence from IMH studies suggest that the incidence of mental illness is higher than amongst other races in Singapore. 

It is clear that there is some way to go before mental health matters are accepted as health issues which require intervention and treatment. This is exacerbated by deep seated stigma towards mental illness, which prevents people from seeking treatment early and manifesting in alarming treatment gaps. 

Registered as a society in November 2017 and largely volunteer driven, Club2Care was set up to bridge the gaps in the mental health area in Singapore with a focus on the Indian community. Club2Care is keen to help raise awareness on mental health issues, to de-stigmatise mental illness so more people come forward for help and to provide support to the community in ways which will reach the ground and make a difference. Club2Care also promotes mental well-being in the community, i.e. help those who are well to stay well and help those who may be distressed and thus may very well develop mental health issues if not supported early. 

Club2Care conducts outreach events focusing on raising awareness on mental health issues,conducts mental health screening as well as targeted mental health first aid training for community volunteers and other organisations. Free mental health counselling services are also available in English, Tamil and in other Indian languages while caregivers’ concerns and needs are also looked into. An active youth wing is focused on addressing the mental health concerns of Indian youth in Singapore, very much a topic of discussion at present.

Club2Care is a movement which aims to foster a supportive, encouraging and non-judgmental society which is compassionate towards mental distress and to this end, looks forward to collaboration with other organisations, groups or individuals to promote the cause of mental health. Do contact Club2Care if you wish for talks, outreach events or screeningto be conducted for your organisation or if you wish to find out more about its services. We also encourage you to seek help if you, your loved ones or friends are facing any kind of distress.

Club2Care can be contacted at club2care@gmail.com or via its facebook page. Do find out more about Club2Care by visiting its website, club2care.com.