Peersten

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Voice Call,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Over the phone, in person if suicidal

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Fear of judgment, consequences e.g. services on record

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Having a listening ear

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Voice Call

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Very likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Have a listening ear that won’t judge

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Slight likeliness. Whenever I overthink at night and my thoughts run wild, this platform may be of help.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Personal data concerns.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

70% of time

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Post-work, convenient to talk

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

From a scale of 1 - 5, it might be a 3. It is a private time for me to wind down at the end of the day and introspect.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Reasons for being interested: Engaging with peers of the same age and same life stage. This means that they might relate to the issues that I\'m facing and hence know how to show support. Reason for not being interested: Unsure how to start talking about personal issues.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Very likely - usually it is late at night when you are despairing over your life or overthinking things, especially for students in university under the covid situation

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I think there’s always the worry that the person on the other side may be someone we know, or someone who knows us. Singapore is really that small after all and secrets usually are let out of the bag unless you confide in your closest friend. It’s also hard to match volunteers like if I was a volunteer, I cannot declare all the persons whom I may potentially recognise from hearing their stories. If I were the user, I will also be worried my story, whether people know it was from me or not, will be lunch talk. People trust therapists because they are legally obliged to NDAs and their professionalism, and we cannot ask so much from volunteers. But if we just have casual ranting over this platform, it will be also very wasted and not very useful for users.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Very

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Everyone needs an outlet to talk to

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Not sure if the people running these services are understanding and empathetic

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Voice Call,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Not likely.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I have someone I can confine in.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Highly

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Drowning in my thoughts need to let them out or I’ll implode

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Highly

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Too drowned by thoughts

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

None

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I would sleep at night

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Most likely. Because that’s when I tend to self reflect and end up getting confused or need the most help.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I don’t see a reason why I would not be interested in this. Coz I believe it’s going to be really useful and convenient for students to have ears which can listen to their problems, especially not feeling vulnerable.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Voice Call

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Very likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I can’t speak for all, but nights are sometimes the hardest. The darkness and emptiness gives way to difficult thoughts and if there’s a helpful line to call at night, it would be extremely useful.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Voice Call

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Not at all

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I don\'t need it

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

very likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

if there is totally no friends to reach out to, i\'ll try this service

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Email,Voice Call

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Not very as if it is at night, I would usually reach out to trusted friends to talk about my challenges or emotions.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I would be interested to engage in this service as a volunteer rather than a participant. I believe that some people tend to be overwhelmed with their emotions when they are alone at night and could do with the support. I like the idea where the team wants to work with clubs as some youths visit these night places when feeling emotion as a means of escape and it would be good to engage employees of such places to look out for tell-tale signs of mental wellbeing challenges in those that visit their establishments.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Email,Voice Call

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Likely, since there is more time to overthink at night.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I might use it if I desperately need a counterpart\'s advice but then again the privacy issue is something I will consider.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Voice Call,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Most likely.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

When we start winding down for bed at night, it makes us more aware of the emotions we may have shoved aside during the day

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Voice Call,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Very likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I have a very big issue with my mental health. It would really help if I can get advice from someone far more experienced.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Voice Call

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Likely.. between 12am to 3am

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

worry that the messages or call may be recorded, lack of privacy, need to give personal details that could lead to identification (is it really anonymous?)

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Quite likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

It\'s probably more difficult to find someone to talk to at night. Having such a service will be useful.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Voice Call,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

not sure..

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

whether i trust the service

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Voice Call

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Nighttime is often the hardest time for me

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Only if it cannot wait till the next day.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

When facing difficult problems that cannot wait to be resolved.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Email,Voice Call,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Highly likely. Things can happen at any time of the day. It will be good to have a source to reach out 24/7.

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

I need someone to talk to. Most people are busy with work in the morning.

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Very likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Because it\'ll be nice to have a friend

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Depends on how I am feeling at night

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Think that I can handle it

In response to "With regards to mental health support services, what is your preferred mode of engagement?"

Face to Face,Email,Voice Call,Instant messaging

In response to "How likely would you engage in mental well-being services at night?"

Not likely

In response to "What are the reasons why you would be interested/not interested to engage in these services?"

Night time is me time. Self care routines. I’d rather engage in these services in the day.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Have professionals run the phone service

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

It is a great idea. There could also be efforts to help to publicize the service and to also organize forums and online discussions to openly discuss the stigma associated with mental health so that interested users will be more likely to seek health and reach out to the hotline.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Other than just being a \'listening\' platform, why not go a little further and provide assistance?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think this initiative is good because it will give youths who do not have an outlet to vent a listening ear! Some concerns for considerations are: 1. Not knowing how to talk about personal problems. Help-seekers might not know how to start talking about their personal issues. Especially if they do not already know how to broach the topic around those who are close around them (friends), for fear of being judged, they might find it even harder to talk to anonymous people - and on an informal platform, like an app. I suggest offering some helpful questions to begin the conversation such as, eg. how do you feel today? what is making you feel this way? why do you think you behave this way? etc. 2. Anonymity alone might not generate trust. I understand the assumption that an anonymous person might make one more likely to open up since the one seeking help does not need to fear about getting judged by someone who does not know them. However, I think the issue is not limited to judgement. There is also the fear that the ones responding might not truly understand what they are going through. And in turn not know how to respond. The responders might just offer superficial words of encouragement like \"it\'s okay, I understand\" when they truly do not. Or \"it\'s not such a big deal\" / \"look on the bright side\". Hence making the ones seeking help feel like their experiences are undermined. Especially for a peer-to-peer service when other peers might not have the emotional depth or maturity to provide support in a way that help seekers feel affirmed. Hence more precaution is required in choosing the right candidates based on emotional maturity, emotional depth, and ability to empathize! (Even after training has been done) I suggest having trained professionals assess which volunteers are ready, and only launch the program when a sizeable number of volunteers with the right emotional aptitude are recruited. 3. Logistic issues. Limiting the pool of candidates to clubs in universities might be insufficient to handle the demands of messaging multiple people instantly. I suggest widening the pool counsellors to polytechnic students, ITE, and also external clubs of young trained professionals in this project. This is because there is a certain rhythm in replying to messages instantly, that will make people more open to talking about issues. As compared to taking a long while to respond. Which might be limited due to the lack of manpower. 4. Direction to the next step. While a listening platform is great because it prioritizes listening to the help-seekers issues, I suggest connecting help-seekers to appropriate helplines after they are done confiding. Helplines are important to take restorative steps after the issues are heard. Because knowing about the problem alone is not enough to solve it. Alternatively, there can be in-app services to train participants on their own. For example, taking steps to reverse negative self-talk, or knowing self-defense tactics when facing of an abuser. But directing help-seekers to the next step should be done at the discretion of those offering help, because it is not always a case of offering help immediately after one session of listening to others\' issues. Because one session might not be enough for the ones talking to talk about all their issues. The volunteer ought to assess when the help-seeker has fully confided, and is ready to be persuaded to move on to the next course of action. 5. Check-ins on the mental state of volunteers and weekly After-Action Reviews (AAR) meetings. Paying attention to the mental states of volunteers is also important to ensure they do not get burned out and know that they are supported in improving ways to offer help. I think this should be done on a weekly basis so that volunteers can immediately redress any issues they have with offering support, while also ensuring they are mentally healthy and strong. After all, these are also just students who are also juggling their daily lives and personal problems. Ultimately, I see great value in this initiative because it focuses on understanding help-seekers problems first before offering help. Rather than the other way. Because if help is offered first before truly understanding the help-seekers problems, it might adversely make them feel less supported and undermined in their experiences.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Maybe just a question from me: why must we choose between a certain mode of engagement? Why can’t all of them be provided as an option? Everyone has different levels of comfort and privacy needs. If you want to make it a more personalised experience, then I think the different options of mode of communication is one of the most important feature of your project.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

make sure that volunteers are properly trained, so they won’t make things worse

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Have more visual elements in presentation

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Sometimes, the inertia to reach out is very difficult. Probably, the app/group can send scheduled texts checking-in. (See: We\'re not really strangers Twitter page.)

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

You guys could emphasise on the fact that these volunteers are trained because some kind of credentials are important to gain the trust of your clients. This might be a far reach but you guys could also train teachers to support their students as well. These students can then depend on their teacher for help even in schools.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think it’ll be awesome if there are dedicated lines of service to help at night and to be transparent on who’s the manning the calls - be it volunteers or trained professionals. I really like this idea and kudos to the team for thinking of it!

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Platforms like SOS are providing such services...so be clear on the selling/unique point of your project!

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

as much as face to face works best...but it\'ll have to be professional as well..how would you make sure of this part when you\'re providing these services at night?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I like the listening service but I am wondering what comes next? Would there be any follow up as part of the efforts (e.g. pointing these people to a professional service)? While listening is important, I think that the follow up is also a critical part of the overall process and in turn, a person\'s recovery process.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

This is a great initiative since personally I feel that most will be more vulnerable at night and there is a gap for these mental health services during the late hours of the night. I would say perhaps provide a sub-hotline to other mental health hotlines such as the Suicide Prevention hotline, etc. if volunteers feel like they are not well equipped enough yet to handle heavy, pressing issues. This will prevent the volunteers from being too overwhelmed with responsibility, since they are mostly students who have their own schedules and issues as well, so they might not necessarily have be the best person for every mental health issue under the sun, so the option to \"transfer\" the call to professionals would be beneficial to everyone.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Good to also work with and leverage on existing hotlines for mental health issues. For example, perhaps a \'sub\' line or a specific line (or just a call transfer) for students / youths facing study or family issues stress. Need to grow awareness of the outlet / hotline, and to have positive reviews (since people google the more effective avenues to reach out too). Also, not sure if it\'s possible for responders to follow-up on rendering help (does this breach PDPA?) or each call may be a different person responding each time.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

If the intent is just to provide a listening ear, should the service be expanded to just be 24/7?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

i see that the lack of mental health support at night is a critical issue and that the solution presented of peer-to-peer support is great!! one concern i have is that the volunteer peer supporters might face burnout or feel drained if they are not able to practice self care and draw appropriate boundaries. perhaps there could be a module of the volunteer training that emphasizes this point. perhaps there could be an internal policy that does not allow volunteers to share their phone numbers or social media with these anonymous students seeking help so that there is no continued conversation beyond the one on the platform? overall, it is important for volunteers to know what to do if they feel exhausted or drained or even sad from volunteering for this project.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

1. This is a really important gap and I am glad your team is trying to fill it. I appreciate that you frame this as a listening service with relatively modest aims (to triage cases of students in distress). 2. The greatest challenge here seems to be sustainability and logistics - one suggestion would be to leverage economies of scale by working across the different Autonomous Universities (not to mention the Polytechnics and ITEs), so as to reduce the load on individual student clubs. 3. You may also need to more specifically target students who live on-campus (which can often create its own mental health dynamics) vs. students who commute to school. The types of issues they face may be quite different, and the logistical requirements for providing a nighttime listening service may diverge.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

It may be helpful to have the student seeking help choose from a list of topics or give a brief description of the issues/problems they wish to talk about. This is because the listening ears may not be able to grasp the gravity of certain topics that they lack experience in or are not comfortable with engaging in.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think the goal of the project should be more defined. Is it to just have someone to listen to your woes? What training will the volunteers undergo that can enable them to support peers with mental health issues ? How can the management team of universities help the mental health patients and how effective can they be to the mental health patients ?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Offer all types of engagement - face to face, call, text