National mindline 1771 will also launch a pilot in late-2025 to recruit and train volunteers. — THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN Photo

SINGAPORE – Round-the-clock help for mental health is now just a call or text away with the launch of Singapore’s first helpline and textline service on Wednesday.

The 24/7 dedicated service, called national mindline 1771, is part of the nation’s efforts to make mental health a key priority and was one of the key proposals mooted under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy.

This new service is operated by Singapore's Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

Individuals who need support can either dial 1771 to speak with a trained counsellor or do so via chat on WhatsApp (+65 6669 1771) or an online chat widget at https://mindline.sg/fsmh.

All conversations will be kept confidential, and help-seekers can also choose to remain anonymous, making it easier for individuals to take the first step to get help early.

The service, which will be manned by 30 full-time counsellors who have a background in psychology or other allied health training, will be offered in Singapore's four national languages (English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil).

Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Health, Dr Koh Poh Koon, pointed out that one of the key lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic was that there was a need for a national-level hotline to support Singaporeans in times of stress.

Rolling out such a service in peacetime would allow the Government to expand it if the need arises during times of major crisis.

“If there’s an acute crisis that happens at a national level, this hotline will be able to form the base for a surge capacity, by bringing in officers from various Government agencies who have already been trained in psychological first aid to augment the services if need be,” said Dr Koh.

With the launch of the national service, the IMH will discontinue its Mental Health Helpline, which was operating at 6389 2222 and served as a triage and advice resource for those facing emotional or mental health services. Until September 30, calls to the IMH helpline will be automatically forwarded to national mindline 1771.

Director of national mindline 1771 Christopher Cheok said that the staff manning the service has been trained with clinical skills and psychological first aid, and will be able to effectively triage the cases that come their way.

Adjunct Associate Professor Cheok added that the Ministry of Health will monitor demand for the service and adjust the manpower as required.

National mindline 1771 will also launch a pilot in late-2025 to recruit and train volunteers, who will complement the work of professional counsellors manning the service. — THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN