AVOID “REDUCTIONIST APPROACH” TO MENTAL HEALTH
Ms Phua was accompanied on Sunday morning by the PAP Jalan Besar team comprising Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Dr Wan Rizal and party new face Shawn Loh.
Dr Wan Rizal was also asked for his take on SDP’s comments from another rally – in this case, that overpopulation was one of the main reasons for mental health issues in Singapore.
“If we continue to allow the PAP to bring in more and more foreigners, our problems of mental health, cost of living, overcrowding, environmental degradation and overall quality of life are all going to worsen,” party chief Chee Soon Juan said at the SDP rally on Friday evening.
Dr Wan Rizal, known for advocating for mental health issues in parliament, cautioned against taking a “reductionist approach” to the topic.
“If you think … that’s the only way, or that’s the only problem, then I think you’re not looking at the big picture, what mental health is about. But mental health is a spectrum, and I think it’s important to understand,” he said.
He noted that mental health is not only affected by “one factor” and that each person handles mental health issues differently. But he also acknowledged that having more such views was a positive thing, as it showed Singaporeans care about well-being.
“Because we can only make Singapore better through diverse views, and I think this is good to hear,” he said.
“But we cannot take a reductionist approach. I think that is wrong.”
