Making soul connections Cheow Xin Yi Sep 21 We're more aware of mental illness - but not enough to recognise the signs in ourselves or friends, says author A veteran in the charity sector with more than 20 years of youth development and counselling experience under his belt, Mr Chua Seng Lee, 46, could not understand how he could miss the warning signs of depression. The young man he had been mentoring committed suicide last year, at the tender age of 23. Shocked at how little he knew about the "destructive powers" of depression and determined to turn his grief for a friend into a "blessing for others", the former director of the youth arm of Touch Community Services embarked on a personal mission to shed light on the subject. After interviews with psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health caregivers, as well as more than 20 sufferers of various mental health afflictions, his 19-month research effort finally culminated in a book featuring their stories on coping with and recovering from their illnesses. Speaking to Today, Mr Chua - who runs a training company and a charity - cited medical statistics he uncovered during his interviews with the professionals, such as how 35 per cent of depression cases are genetically influenced while the rest are caused purely by environmental factors. He stressed the need for society to "slow down" and be more sensitive to those more pre-disposed to depression, even as he warned about the increasing prevalence of mental illness in tandem with the rise of life stresses related to work, relationships and physical ailments. Thanks to education and social campaigns like Silver Ribbon (Singapore), Mr Chua reckons Singapore has moved towards greater awareness of mental health issues. "Everybody knows the word depression. Youths use it like part of their vocabulary and will say "I'm depressed". But we need to move beyond just describing what depression is to go into the causes, helping people to understand the signs and symptoms and refer people to get help," he said. In the case of his mentee, Colin (not his real name), Mr Chua said he had exhibited signs of clinical depression since his junior college days - when the student would lock himself up and cut off contact with everyone - but neither his friends nor Mr Chua himself "took (the symptoms) seriously". "We may be very well connected, but we may not be well-connected heart to heart. I may know you as a friend, we can go for a drink together, but I may not know what's going through in your heart," said Mr Chua. This is why his book, titled My Voice: Overcoming, includes a list of typical symptoms for clinical depression, such as being restless and irritable, having difficulty in concentrating and feeling emotional and often crying. "One very distinct sign is a difference in behaviour, for example, if you notice a drop in energy level or appetite, or if someone stopped doing what he or she used to enjoy doing," he said. According to him, two weeks of prolonged sadness will cause the brain to start producing excess cortisol, a stress hormone linked to clinical depression. Mr Chua sought to present stories from survivors whose mental conditions were sparked by a wide spectrum of external causes, from divorce and, work stresses to post-natal blues. In the case of former actress and businesswoman Jacelyn Tay - one of those featured in the book - the trigger was financial failure after she lost S$500,000 in an investment. Despite the stigma of mental illness, Mr Chua said it was not difficult for him to find mental health patients, in different stages of recovery, to share their experiences with him. In fact, of the seven featured in his book, four - including Jacelyn - used their real names. "The people who are willing to offer their story are those who have experienced some level of breakthrough. Depressed people at different stages of their sickness - not all are able to talk about it. I'm sure if I interviewed Jacelyn when she was in the pits, she wouldn't want to see or entertain me - she said she didn't bathe for two weeks." Still, Mr Chua says that stigmatisation is very much a real issue in Singapore. He has known cases where both sufferers of mental health conditions and their family members vehemently refuse treatment at the Institute of Mental Health despite the former already exhibiting violent tendencies. "This is something society must change ... A person with cancer - you'll just say the person is sick. But a person with a mental illness, we call him a mad person, we tie it to his identity when they are just normal people with a sickness." SOUL CONNECTORS Beyond publishing the book, which Mr Chua admits is very much about his desire to "find closure" after Colin's death, he has also kick-started a new programme called "SoulCare" through his charity Life! Community Development. Aimed at developing emotional resilience among youth, the idea is to train "soul connectors" to develop healthy "thinking, feeling and relating habits" through a series of lessons and activities. The programme, developed jointly with psychologists and psychiatrists, is at a pilot stage with Mr Chua leading training sessions with 20 students at the Singapore Institute of Management. "We hope to achieve two things through the process: Help them to discover more about themselves so that if they have symptoms (of mental illness), we can create this community where they can ask for help. Then they will also be the 'eyes and ears' for the people around them." Citing a lecture by United States clinical psychologist and author, Dr Archibald Hart, who said everyone will experience some form of depression at least once in their lifetime, Mr Chua said it is important that the youth equip themselves now with the tools to deal with the vicissitudes of life - especially when depression is expected to be the second-leading cause of disability by 2020, according to World Health Organization estimates. Through SoulCare, Mr Chua aims to reach out to 2,000 young adults aged 18 and above over the next two years, by collaborating with other tertiary learning institutes and workplaces. Chua Seng Lee's "My Voice: Overcoming" is published by Write Editions.