2020: In response to Anthea Ong's questions about LGBT people's mental health

Regarding mental health of the LGBT community, as I have said earlier, healthcare providers who are caring for all persons with mental health conditions, are trained and they are supposed to provide these patients with empathy, sensitivity and due consideration to their specific care needs as well as risk factors. What we have done is to adopt a team-based approach to healthcare and ensure that different perspectives are considered. If need be, they can get the experts to come in to provide holistic care.

In addition to that, let me say that in 2017, the Institute of Mental Health set up the Gender Care Clinic. This clinic provides counselling and psychiatric treatment for persons experiencing emotional difficulties pertaining to gender identity, including the people who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria. And approximately 50% of these patients have a co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis. Majority of them will have anxiety and depressive disorders, and they are actually treated there. So, there are various avenues that we help this group of people.

https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-1330

https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/parliament-more-support-will-be-provided-to-those-caring-for-mental-health-patients

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