SG has seen an improvement in mental health literacy rate.The second Mind Matters cross-sectional survey conducted in 2023 reports an increase in mental health literacy (MHL) in Singapore since the first survey in 2015.
In Mind Matters 2015, less than half (43.7 percent) of adults in Singapore could correctly recognize the five selected mental health conditions: major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and dementia. [BMC Psychiatry 2016;16:121]
Eight years later, the recognition rate for these disorders had risen to 59.3 percent. A comparison with the 2015 rate yielded a p-value of <0.001. [BMC Psychiatry 2026;26:99]
According to the investigators, this improvement aligns with that observed in other developed countries following the implementation of national mental health awareness campaigns. [Acta Psychiatr Scand 2012;125:440-452; Psychiatry Res 2018;260:75-77; Int Perspect Psychol 2018;7:240-257]
Dementia was the most recognized condition (83 percent), followed by alcohol abuse (71.5 percent) and depression (65.4 percent). This trend was similarly seen in 2015 (66.3, 57.1, and 55.2 percent, respectively).
The increases in recognition rates between 2015 and 2023 were significant (p<0.001 for dementia and alcohol abuse; p=0.01 for depression).
“The slew of local dementia-related initiatives and extensive portrayal of alcohol abuse and depression in popular media, which were offered as likely reasons for the comparatively better recognition rates in the earlier survey, may have persisted, and the recent awareness efforts could have resulted in further improvements,” the researchers explained.
Least recognized conditions
In both the 2023 and 2015 surveys, the least recognized disorders were OCD (62.3 percent and 28.7 percent) and schizophrenia (15.1 percent and 11.5 percent), but the improvement with OCD was the most pronounced (+33.6 percent; p<0.001).
The researchers attributed this uptick to increased awareness efforts and the widespread offhand use of ‘OCD’ in social media, leading to trivialization of the condition. [Transl Psychiatry 2021;11:309; Comput Human Behav 2015;49:251-258] “[The increased] recognition could reflect actual improvement in literacy, [but] the levity with which the diagnostic term is used is worrying, as it trivializes the experience of those besieged by the condition,” they pointed out.
Schizophrenia may have been poorly recognized because most campaigns target the more common mental disorders (eg, depression, anxiety). Other reasons for the low recognition rates are its stigmatization, the misassociation with violence and danger, and cultural beliefs. [Schizophr Bull Open 2023;4:sgad018; Health Commun 2018;33:954-961; J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs 2023;30:620-636]
Due to the severity, chronicity, and immense impact of schizophrenia on the individual, family, and society, the researchers underscored the importance of raising awareness about the condition and effective treatment alternatives.
A key priority
Despite being a global leader in healthcare, Singapore continues to face a substantial treatment gap for mental illness. In the Singapore Mental Health Study, more than three-quarters of individuals with mental illnesses have not received treatment. [Lancet Reg Health West Pac 2025;54:101279; Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2020;55:1415-1424]
In 2024, the then Deputy Prime Minister announced mental health as a key priority in Singapore’s national agenda. [https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/mental-health-is-now-on-the-national-agenda-lets-cut-to-the-chase, accessed 21 July 2026]
MHL, which was first introduced in 1997, was initially defined as knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders that aid their recognition, management, and prevention. [Med J Aust 1997;166:182-186] It was later redefined to include an individual’s ability to put theory into practice. [Int Handb Health Lit 2019;doi.org/10.51952/9781447344520.ch004]
“The ability to correctly recognize and label an acute mental health problem and distinguish it from everyday problems is an important aspect of MHL,” the researchers stressed. “[Identifying] mental illness by the public is a prerequisite for prompt help-seeking for themselves or those around them suffering from the illness. Effective and timely treatment enhances the likelihood of a better prognosis.”
Correcting misconceptions—ie, dementia is part of normal ageing, OCD is only perfectionism, alcoholism relates to moral failure—may help improve awareness, facilitate support, and motivate patients and families to seek treatment, they said.
“Sensitive messaging to reduce blame and render help to families with alcohol use problems is needed … Future MHL strategies could include schizophrenia-specific content and culturally appropriate outreach to address the gaps,” they added.
Study characteristics
Mind Matters 2023 recruited 4,195 Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 18–67 years. Data from 3,002 participants (50.9 percent women, 73.8 percent Chinese) assigned any one of the five vignettes used in the 2015 study were included for comparisons.
According to the investigators, the five conditions were selected based on mental health surveys targeting adults and older adults in Singapore, their relatively high prevalence in the population, and the large treatment gap for each disorder.
Despite the cross-sectional study design and the nonresponse rate of 38 percent, the researchers noted that the use of a vignette-based approach developed and cognitively tested by local psychiatrists and researchers ensures inclusivity and generalizability to the Singapore population.
The study also used a methodology similar to Mind Matters 2015, allowing for direct comparison and tracking, and had a large representative sample of the general population.