What is allostatic overload?

Bad stress indicators

How behaviour and environment can affect genes

How IMH wants to help people help themselves

Prof Fung on the 3Rs to help combat stress

Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Traditionally, the Institute of Mental Health or IMH has focused mainly on taking care of those who are severely ill with mental disorders. Now, it also wants to look at improving the mental health of Singaporeans by helping them manage their stress.

We all need to swim and keep afloat in the sea of stress. Is there a way to do it better? Can we avoid sinking into it and does stress lead to mental illness? What’s the difference between good and bad stress? 

Does having the genes for a mental illness mean that we cannot avoid becoming mentally ill? What can be done on the population level?

In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo take a deep dive into stress with the chief executive officer of Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Prof Daniel Fung.

Highlights (click/tap above):

03:30 What is allostatic overload, that refers to the cumulative burden of chronic stress and life events?

06:50 Bad stress indicators and how adverse childhood experiences are predictors

10:19 Epigenetics: Studying how your behaviour and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work

13:55 How IMH wants to help people help themselves, and manage stresses of life

16:40 Prof Fung on the 3Rs to help combat stress before it overwhelms

Helplines
MENTAL WELL-BEING
•  Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
•  Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp)
•  Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
•  Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928
•  Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788
•  Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1
•  Women’s Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm)COUNSELLING
•  TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252
•  TOUCH Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555
•  Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180
•  Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366ONLINE RESOURCES
•  mindline.sg
•  eC2.sg
•  tinklefriend.sg
•  chat.mentalhealth.sg
•  carey.carecorner.org.sg (for those aged 13 to 25)
•  limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25)

Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Eden Soh 

Edited by: Eden Soh

Follow Health Check Podcast episodes out here every first and third Wednesday of the month:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/J6Wv

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#healthcheck

Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Traditionally, the Institute of Mental Health or IMH has focused mainly on taking care of those who are severely ill with mental disorders. Now, it also wants to look at improving the mental health of Singaporeans by helping them manage their stress.
We all need to swim and keep afloat in the sea of stress. Is there a way to do it better? Can we avoid sinking into it and does stress lead to mental illness? What’s the difference between good and bad stress? 
Does having the genes for a mental illness mean that we cannot avoid becoming mentally ill? What can be done on the population level?
In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo take a deep dive into stress with the chief executive officer of Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Prof Daniel Fung.
Highlights (click/tap above):
03:30 What is allostatic overload, that refers to the cumulative burden of chronic stress and life events?
06:50 Bad stress indicators and how adverse childhood experiences are predictors
10:19 Epigenetics: Studying how your behaviour and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work
13:55 How IMH wants to help people help themselves, and manage stresses of life
16:40 Prof Fung on the 3Rs to help combat stress before it overwhelms
Helplines MENTAL WELL-BEING •  Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours) •  Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp) •  Singapore Association for Mental Health: <a href="tel:18002837019" data-stringify-link="tel:18002837019" data-sk="tooltip_parent">1800-283-7019</a> •  Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928 •  Tinkle Friend: <a href="tel:18002744788" data-stringify-link="tel:18002744788" data-sk="tooltip_parent">1800-274-4788</a> •  Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1 •  Women’s Helpline (Aware): <a href="tel:18007775555" data-stringify-link="tel:18007775555" data-sk="tooltip_parent">1800-777-5555</a> (weekdays, 10am to 6pm)COUNSELLING •  TOUCHline (Counselling): <a href="tel:18003772252" data-stringify-link="tel:18003772252" data-sk="tooltip_parent">1800-377-2252</a> •  TOUCH Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555 •  Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180 •  Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366ONLINE RESOURCES •  <a href="http://mindline.sg/" data-stringify-link="http://mindline.sg" data-sk="tooltip_parent">mindline.sg</a> •  <a href="http://ec2.sg/" data-stringify-link="http://eC2.sg" data-sk="tooltip_parent">eC2.sg</a> •  <a href="http://tinklefriend.sg/" data-stringify-link="http://tinklefriend.sg" data-sk="tooltip_parent">tinklefriend.sg</a> •  <a href="http://chat.mentalhealth.sg/" data-stringify-link="http://chat.mentalhealth.sg" data-sk="tooltip_parent">chat.mentalhealth.sg</a> •  <a href="http://carey.carecorner.org.sg/" data-stringify-link="http://carey.carecorner.org.sg" data-sk="tooltip_parent">carey.carecorner.org.sg</a> (for those aged 13 to 25) •  <a href="http://limitless.sg/talk" data-stringify-link="http://limitless.sg/talk" data-sk="tooltip_parent">limitless.sg/talk</a> (for those aged 12 to 25)
Produced by: Joyce Teo (<a href="mailto:joyceteo@sph.com.sg">joyceteo@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis and Eden Soh 
Edited by: Eden Soh
Follow Health Check Podcast episodes out here every first and third Wednesday of the month:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRX" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/JWRX">https://str.sg/JWRX</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaQ" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/JWaQ">https://str.sg/JWaQ</a>
Google Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/J6Wv" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/J6Wv">https://str.sg/J6Wv</a> 
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1616770577952000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHQ-jl8r53rXNtovHlt7Kq7ysKnpw">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Read Joyce Teo's stories: <a href="https://str.sg/JbxN" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/JbxN&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1616770577952000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG6QCsLisO7Dq_hZpbDYfNPFWnlPA">https://str.sg/JbxN</a>
---
Discover ST's special edition podcasts:
Singapore's War On Covid: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wuJa&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0OTFY0MvqIrgaw9LyW6y__">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wuZ2&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2GURzJrGT98PLlJ5iyaPlP">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Stop Scams: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wuZB&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3DGn3DEo8TLcTRc78_bgjQ">https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Invisible Asia: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wuZn&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3-BANGj6pyb33rK8fEq4EZ">https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast series:
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/JWa7&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27NPLOdljn2r-wFEyX5Cou">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/JWaf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0h3ly0tm5LxYAXEQbLRwAJ">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/w7Qt&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2kgzMyqt5v2lBRaGK7_Arh">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wB2m&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1HWy0rJKXOIqoRZ0m3YD4C">https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/JWad&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2LZ3tvI3qwhY5ULJZ89CI1">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
ST Sports Talk: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/JWRE&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Kq1dGF4LBt0vNYjV1Qwch">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
Bookmark This!: <a href="https://str.sg/JWas" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/JWas&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw10u3HHTm_lke6h_Fnc-9Sz">https://str.sg/JWas</a>
Lunch With Sumiko: <a href="https://str.sg/J6hQ" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/J6hQ&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Os3N1xOKSOqGWnj8ws1hW">https://str.sg/J6hQ</a>
Discover ST Podcasts: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw07h0FDZCouZxcRp1NELYEN">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Discover BT Podcasts: <a dir="ltr" href="https://bt.sg/pcPL" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bt.sg/pcPL&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1660623171634000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1bHywoZy6XJp2x2iXQZOXt">https://bt.sg/pcPL</a>
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#healthcheck

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Podcaster: Joyce Teo

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Podcaster: Joyce Teo
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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