I’m Friendly Co

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Yes, in terms of data collection and privacy and implications of this on users.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Online peer support is a good platform to support individuals needing support but it does not nor should replace therapy by professionals.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Knowing that I can remain anonymous, comfortable and safe from judgement is most important.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes as it allows one to feel comfortable speaking without face-to-face interaction, but it depends on whether the trained volunteer is able to listen well.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

How do you ensure quality? Especially when its peer to peer. Confidentiality might also be an issue. Also, might be prone to abuse by bad players who might carry bad intentions

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Online, by qualified medical professionals, yes.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

privacy

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

It depends on the person, some people might feel more comfortable and talk more because they do not know who the therapist is so there is no judgment but some people might want to know who the therapist for them to talk about their problems

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

As long as it\'s not a robot

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Having a mentally sound perspective of a distressing situation can provide much needed relief

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Is the peer giving credible advice? Will my sharing be kept confidential?

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes it can be effective as it\'s cost-efficient and easily accessible to youths going through online platform instead of registering at a clinic.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

How does the team ensure that the advice and guidance being provided is professional?

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

While more accessible, the tele options would need to be properly overseen to ensure that providers are trained professionals or para-professionals

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Is it too \"Robotic\"?

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes, convenience, accessibility, anonymity

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

not sure if other person can be trusted

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

maybe if i want to keep my identity a secret

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Just wondering if the peers involved in the programme will have sufficient knowledge on when it is perhaps best for mental health experts to step in? Are there formalized procedures within the training to identify steps to take for these pals for perhaps more serious cases?

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

While I reserve doubts on it being as effective as physical mental health therapy, I do think there is a potential for mental health to be more accessible and be a good preliminary step prior to them being more willing to seek mental health help/therapy :) With more structured procedures and perhaps careful crafting of the training programme, there is definitely potential on it being a good complement for people who may not find mental therapy accessible.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

I think this is so good but is a bot good enough?

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

yes it can especially in anonymity because people want to confide in someone not find a solution to all problem every single time. having a listening ear is more important than having someone to give you professional advice every single time you run into an obstacle

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

-

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes as long as the peer support is able to benefit/assist the individual in the way he/she intended

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Volunteers are not properly trained, it is ok to just be a listening ear. Better not allow any volunteers to provide non professional advices or solutions to the one needing help. Good to establish the expectations as well before they get the “peer” to help

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Can be.. but you will need to make sure the volunteers are at the level of at least a counsellor. If not, it will not be as effective but will still be of some use.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

The peer supporter may not be well-trained.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Maybe not as effective but it is a quick help when someone needs it.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

I’m worried about privacy concerns and the effectiveness of a support system that is remote. Generally, when it comes to affairs like mental health support, face-to face interactions tend to be more fulfilling

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

I think if it is developed towards the right direction of trying to reach out and guide those who are mentally unwell, it would be effective. However, I have my doubts on its effectiveness as compared to live physical sessions.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

May not feel real.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

For short-term and emergent situations, maybe! Dealing with the situation/adversity immediately definitely puts it above physical therapy. However, I think physical is still needed occasionally.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Fear of Judgement, inadequacy as well as the person not being able to understand what I am going through

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

I feel that physical mental health therapy will definitely be more effective because of that personal touch and real life interaction. Online peer support may not feel as intimate as the victim might feel that the person on the other line feels too distant and does not know what he/she is going through.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Nope

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Anonymity

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes , no pressure.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Liabilities, Professionalism

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

If there is webcam, it can be the same

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

People often find it difficult to put themselves out there and express their issues even in real life therapy sessions. So I am a little concerned that virtual therapy sessions might make it even more difficult for them. However, it could turn the other way as well. People might feel less intimidated by tele therapy too.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Both might not be the same but I feel like an equal number of people would prefer virtual to physical due to the kind of distance they have with the therapist. So it can be effective as well.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

USP from current apps on self-care

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

yes - given global shift created by cover pandemic.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

whether it will be private? like safe.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

yess! i think it will be better as it is more convienient!

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Yes, I am worried about confidentiality

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Anonymity

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

I reserve opinion on this; have not experienced either.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

How much of the conversations are recorded since privacy issues are at stake, with users contacting them via their personal social media accounts (Telegram)?

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes, since some prefer absolute anonymity and are not comfortable speaking about issues in-person.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Yes, I would prefer to talk to actual friends as I know their intentions and personalities well. Online, you would never know who is behind the screen and if they have any hidden agendas. For teletherapy, I feel that there needs to be a clear list of participating psychologists and their credentials so that people know who they are talking to. Also, I am concerned about privacy issues and how secure the app is from potential hackers as private information are usually shared at such sessions.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

No, I feel that having a therapist who knows you well and keeps track of your progress is something that physical mental health therapy provides. I am not sure if it would be feasible to except teletherapists to provide the same level of service and tracking if the caseloads are higher and the pay is lower due to the need to make the service affordable.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Who has access to the bot interactions?

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Anonymity

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes, in fact the anonymity and ease of access (online) may make it even more effective in letting participants feel more willing to share

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Not at the moment. I am doing just fine.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Both do the exact same job. But i feel like physical mental therapy is the best.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

I am worried about the anonymity and personability of it. I don\'t enjoy talking to bots as it seems very fake and makes me feel lonely..

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

I believe to a certain extent. I feel like there are certain things that can only be caught face-to-face. For example: physical symptoms of mental health

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Volunteers are not up to par

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

-

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Privacy, regulation, quality assurance

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

The jury is still out on this

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Unmoderated online conversations with peers that are ill-equipped to handle difficult conversations could potentially do more harm than good. If faced with a poor experience, the person who finally summoned up the courage to reach out to others for the first time through this platform may be deterred from seeking help from other professionals in the future.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

It might come close but I think there is no substitute for the human touch when dealing with a very human issue. The environment and body language of the therapist can go a long way in encouraging people to open up to them when discussing deeply personal issues. This is difficult to replicate in an online setting.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

How much of the support is confidential? How trained is the peer support? Volunteers without much experience in mental health might not be able to comprehend the issues people face. I think pre-screening of peer support is very important to ensure they report the support they give to a authority and also provide the right support level that is needed. Some might be volunteering to get points to enter university which I think is not helpful.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

It is effective if it can reduce waiting time for seeking help. I think a lot of psychologist requires long waiting time of up to 1.5 months and each session is only 30 mins to 1 hour which is not effective. There is no fixed psychologist as most are in the career also to earn a good salary and some also move to private practice shortly.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Nope I think it\'s great

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems,Wait time

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

Yes, it is simple but effective.

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

A concern would be whether support could be properly shown to the person seeking help as texting would be quite different from talking in real life, yet it does provide the anonymity that many may seek.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Affordability,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

I believe that both can be effective in their own ways as they provide different benefits that people may seek for or prioritise, be it in terms of cost-friendliness and anonymity (online peer support would be better), or more relatedness and the human aspect (where physical sessions may be better).

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Privacy

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

No as body language cannot be read, and there are more distractions

In response to "Do you have any concerns about Teletherapy/online peer support?"

Not face to face, lacks authenticity and honesty in conversations.

In response to "Which of the following is most important to you when seeking mental health support and why?"

Anonymity,Ability of listener/therapist to relate to my problems

In response to "Do you think that Teletherapy/online peer support can be as effective as physical mental health therapy? Why so?"

No because of lack of authenticity and honesty in conversations.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Great initiative to ensure professional help can be rendered to individuals who need it more. Not sure what training peer support volunteers will receive but hopefully it is based on a strong curriculum put together in consultation with subject matter experts.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

This initiative is similar to ec2 provided by Fei Yue. However, it differs in terms of medium used. Telegram is very convenient to use as it is popular among youths. I am unsure of the process exactly but it seems that to be able to use this service one would need a tele account to be paired up with a volunteer. This might make one hesitate to use this service as for me I would be afraid whether what I share would be leaked especially if I were to speak about sensitive topics such as suicide. Perhaps using another alternative where it ensures that whatever I have shared would remain not leaked (such as being able to create a private chat room whereby the messages would disappear or providing an option to erase messages for both sides) would be better.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Ensure anonymity, and quality in the peer supporters. Find a way to make it more intimate, as i think that is an important element in face to face sessions.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

provide more information to the user (e.g. what is the timing someone can use the bot)

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Training the administrators to respond to distressing messages in a timely manner

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

This idea is great as it reduces the gap to make mental healthcare more affordable and accessible to individuals. I suggest the team to consider 3 suggestions: 1. Recruitment & Training of Peer helpers This increases availability of peer helpers to support the chatbot instead of having the chatbot refer the individual to organisations to call. Peer helpers make the troubled youth feel comfortable speaking to someone through text asap instead of being referred out of the platform to seek help. For the peer helpers, they can undergo training with PAYM to equip them with credible mental-wellbeing advice and they can clock in community service hours as well! 2. Promote activities to improve mental-wellbeing Partner with HPB/PAYM to launch activities to allow individuals to sign up and improve their well-being. E.g. Nature Outdoor walk to help them regulate their mood. During the activity they can also meet like-minded individuals and share tips that help them improve their mental wellbeing. But there has to be professionals to regulate these programmes incase like-minded individuals become more depressed because of each others\' sharing. 3. Feature successful stories of individuals overcoming their mental adversities Create a Telegram Group Chat to complement this chatbot to broadcast testimonies and wise words to inspire the troubled community of users. Instead of relying on chatbot to reach out to troubled youths, the Telegram Group Chat can educate individuals who are keen to learn more about mental-wellbeing and these nuggets of wisdom can act as prevention methods for individuals to not fall into negative mental wellbeing.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Having a bot to address basic questions is helpful though team may wish to clarify how its envisioned peer support scheme would ensure that peers are sufficiently trained and certified to provide such services.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Loveee the bot! Think we may wanna work together with you to create a tele bot just for healthcare professionals (: Will hit you guys up soon All the best for open mic! Love, Team LAGOM

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

find a greater range of listeners/ trained people to help

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Perhaps be more specific in terms on the training that peers undertake? Are mental health experts involved in the crafting of training plans? Is there a formalized procedure for volunteers to follow if the beneficiary requires help beyond their ability? :)

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think this is honestly so good for our people but what if you can just turn it into something like a dating app concept where you are actually talking to real people facing the same issues which can be filtered by maybe your analytics to match alike people. definitely include the option of anonymity cuz that\'s how most people would prefer to start out when they are uncomfortable. I love this keep it going!! I just think a bot might just not be good enough~

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

First the quality of volunteers is very important. If possible, an interview or assessment after the training you provided would be good before one can be a volunteer. Although it will reduce the number of volunteers, but ultimately u do not want the people with mental health concerns to find this service useless or detrimental. Also there should be an option to choose the volunteer to talk to. Rapport is important in counselling, if the patient is not comfortable with the volunteer or having their volunteer to keep changing everytime they call, then the help will be useless. Volunteers must keep a record of each of their patient so that they can follow up on the progress of each patients when they call again instead of going through the same thing again.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Partner with a psychologist clinic, provide the first-aid to the secondary aid that is the physical therapy psychologist

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I feel that you guys can improve by channeling into physical mental health therapy as well, on top of online peer support. Online peer support can be the first step to get to know the person before advancing to the next stage of physical mental health therapy to ensure that the victim feels comforted, connected and supported throughout every step of the journey.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Make the onboarding simple and convenient so that people know such a thing exists and willing to sign up

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Your project is definitely sustainable since you guys are tapping on the volunteer resources. You could maybe think about tapping into volunteer groups in schools or even better :colleges. Coz it will be easier for you to train them and those volunteers can train their juniors before they graduate. Not only does this fulfil your goal , it also spreads much awareness amongst the youth as a secondary consequence.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Peersten seems to be working on something similar, maybe there\'s a collaboration opportunity there?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

There are a few similar chat bots existing in the market, perhaps providing a unique attracting point for this chat bot will help the bot garner more attention

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Would be good to know how or what would be deemed a more serious/severe case and if there would be any follow up actions that would be taken to help a person cope if they are not willing or unable to get professional help.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

More transparency on information confidentiality

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

As someone who is struggling with depression and anxiety and currently seeking help in IMH, wait time is definitely a terrible factor in my journey. I often miss my appointments because of clash of commitments or just being too depressed or anxious about my sessions and end up needing to wait 2-3 months for my next visit. It is pretty detrimental to my mental health but it is also the cheapest option since it is subsidised. I believe bringing affordability and offsetting the mental health help shortage in Singapore will be so so useful.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

1. This is a commendable effort but there are already a number of similar off-the-shelf solutions, so consider how you fill a gap in the market for tele-therapy. 2. Although the use of a telegram bot is novel and goes some way to addressing anonymity/stigma (esp during lockdown where many patients cannot even take a call in private), there is potential to think about how technology can more fundamentally alter the therapy landscape e.g. with the use of AI conversation bots. 3. As several others have alluded to, there is a need to think about issues such as legal liability/accountability and data privacy/security.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

As much as increasing the accessibility of mental health services is a good initiative, I have reservations about getting volunteer peer support who lack formal professional training. The volunteers would need to be vetted properly and perhaps even quizzed on how they would handle conversations spanning a wide variety of topics.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think more qualified peer support can be provided to help real time needs. They also need to have sufficient volunteering experience and undergo training to help the mental health patients better. The volunteers should be regularly screen to provide updates on the progress of the journey and feedback should be taken to see how the progress has been made and what is the experience with the chat support like. There should be a link for mental health patients to be able to reach to provide feedback and it will be good for the patients to know who they are chatting to - A robot or a human and an introduction to who are the volunteers so the patients can know the person they are approaching as well.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I feel that there would be some people who would be afraid to even seek help via the Telegram bot and perhaps some steps could be taken to reach out to these people, be it via promoting on Instagram and encouraging people to DM if they have any queries and having more “human-ness” (perhaps on IG story). Overall, I think that this is a good initiative and all the best! :)

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Ensuring that the volunteers have the necessary skills