THE past year has been challenging for Singaporeans, with many witnessing job losses, pay cuts and stock losses first-hand.

And many private psychiatric clinics have noticed an increase of 10 to 15 per cent in depression cases, with the economic crisis cited as the root cause.

Public hospitals such as Singapore General Hospital (SGH), National University Hospital (NUH) and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) have also noted a rise in cases since 2007.

SGH said 400 more people sought help for a variety of mental- health problems last year - a 3.2-per-cent rise in patients treated compared to 2007.

NUH also noted an increase in patient consultations, but a larger one of about 15 per cent.

The most common ailments are anxiety and depression. Anxiety is commonly associated with bodily tension and is usually accompanied by physical effects such as heart palpitations, nausea, chest pain, stomachaches and headaches.

Depression is characterised by overwhelming feelings of sadness and hopelessness but it can be manifested in many ways, such as when a patient becomes socially withdrawn, unable to function in daily activities and, in extreme cases, suicidal.

Till now, mostly white-collar workers have been feeling the brunt of the economic meltdown, and the majority of patients seeking treatment belong to the middle- and high-income group, said Dr Ang Yong Guan of Ang Yong Guan Psychiatry.

According to Dr Ang, patients seeking treatment for anxiety and depression usually fall into one of six categories:

1. Those retrenched recently

2. Employees who still have jobs but fear getting retrenched

3. Middle-management staff tasked with retrenching workers but are unable to decide who to axe

4. Employees who have to work doubly hard to meet company expectations

5. Housewives anxious about their spouse's job loss or pay cut

6. People who worry about falling prices of property and stocks

However, Dr Ang said that solutions do exist and depression attacks can be prevented.

Colleagues, company doctors and family members can play a vital role in the intervention process.

If you are suffering from anxiety or depression, call the following numbers for help:

IMH Helpline: 6389-2222
NUH Hotline: 6772-2002
SOS: 1800-221-4444

This story was first published in The Business Times on Jan 28, 2009.

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