As Singapore expands its efforts to tackle mental health issues, multiple Members of Parliament (MPs) raised their concerns for the mental well-being of national servicemen.

Sengkang GRC MP He Ting Ru raised her concerns about the mental well-being of Full-Time National Servicemen (NSFs) during the Committee of Supply debates on Feb. 29.

Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo and Jalan Besar MP Wan Rizal further asked in a parliamentary session on Mar. 7 about the exact measures MINDEF had undertaken to improve mental well-being.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How revealed that the number of pre-enlistees detected to have mental health issues jumped from 6 per cent in 2019 to 11 per cent in 2023.

He said that while the majority have "mild to moderate"conditions, it was in line with the increasing prevalence of mental health issues at the national level.

"To deal with this rising trend, MINDEF and the SAF reviewed our overall system and instituted a slew of measures to better support psychological and psychiatric conditions of our NSFs and regulars. "

Addressing mental health issues

In his speech on Feb. 29, Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How said that SAF "has in place efforts to promote effective self-care, strengthened coping skills, and better recognise mental health issues".

He added that all regulars and NSFs also undergo psychological first-aid training to help them recognise distress, exercise self-care, and how to support their peers.

Individuals are also screened for mental health conditions before their enlistment into NS.

Those who have severe conditions that pose harm to themselves or others are deferred from NS until they are professionally assessed to have improved and no longer pose a risk, Heng added.

Meanwhile, those with mild or moderate symptoms but are assessed to be able to serve in selected posts will receive additional monitoring during NS.

More mental health support has also been extended during Basic Military Training (BMT), allowing medical doctors to work closely with commanders to support NSF during the transition to military life.

"We must continue to do our utmost to strengthen the NS system to make full use of our NSF and NSmen's talents, and skills, and to appreciate the valuable contributions. We must take good care of them."

Measures to support servicemen's mental health

On Mar. 7, Heng replied that MINDEF and the SAF had reviewed their overall system and implemented measures to better support NSFs and regulars.

He said that the number of full-time mental health professionals in MINDEF and the SAF has doubled from 40 a decade ago to 80.

He added that there are also well-being campaigns targeting both NSF and regulars to promote "effective self-care, strengthen coping skills and better recognition of mental health issues".

Mental health support during BMT

Additionally, steps have been taken to increase mental health support during basic military training (BMT).

Heng shared that new Care Hubs have been set up in BMT camps.

"These Care Hubs comprise medical doctors, psychologists, counsellors and orientation officers, working closely together with commanders to provide mental health support to servicemen during their transition into NS," he said.

However, he noted that "signs of mental distress can be subtle", and it is often those who are closest to a person that can pick up these signs.

He reiterated the psychological first-aid training that recruits undergo and added that trained commanders also regularly interview recruits to identify potential problems and render assistance.

For those who are not comfortable sharing their problems openly, Heng said that there is an anonymous 24-hour SAF counselling hotline that they can call.

Heng said,

"MINDEF recognises that we need soldiers who are both healthy physically and mentally for a strong defence."

NS pay will continue to be reviewed

Other issues were raised during the Committee of Supply debates over welfare for NSFs, such as Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam's question about increasing NS pay to at least S$1,600 a month— the local qualifying salary.

In response, Heng answered that the allowance for NSF has been reviewed four times over the past 10 years and will continue to be reviewed for it to "remain relevant".

However, Heng stressed that NS is "a duty to the country and is not a form of employment".

This means NSFs receive an "allowance" instead of a salary to support their basic personal upkeep.

Optimising deployment of NSF

MINDEF also have other measures to enhance the national service experience, such as leveraging technology to redesign job roles.

Heng also noted the Work-Learn Scheme (WLS) in SAF, which allows NSFs to fulfil their academic aspirations, put the learning into practice, and contribute more effectively to the SAF with their enhanced skill and knowledge.

SAF is also tapping on pre-enlistees by partnering with Singapore Polytechnic and the Republic Polytechnic to introduce new schemes for final-year diploma students to fulfil their internship requirements and enlist concurrently.

Top image via The Singapore Army/Facebook.