Prepare to care

• Main Authors: Sejal Bagaria, Chong, Abner, Lim, Esther, Foong, Glen
• Other Authors: Kim Hye Kyung
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Social sciences::Communication
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/155867
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Prepare to Care is a communications campaign that aims to empower caregivers caring for children and teenagers aged 7-19 years old suffering from mental health illnesses with the necessary knowledge and skills for the caregiving journey ahead. Youths in Singapore have been identified as the most vulnerable group in Singapore (Subramaniam et al., 2020), with 1 in 10 children having a diagnosable condition between the ages of 5-16 years old, according to the 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study. Caregivers of children with mental health conditions reported higher levels of parenting stress, physical ailments and depressive symptoms due to the burden of caring for their child (Dunn et al., 2001). These caregivers find themselves to feel ‘helpless’, due to the lack of knowledge they have in this area. This led us to partner with the Institute of Mental Health and Caregivers Alliance Limited to launch a campaign to encourage more caregivers to better prepare themselves mentally and normalise help seeking behaviours. The campaign successfully promoted the enhancement of skills and knowledge through the provision of useful resources which were endorsed by clinicians and experts. This paper will present a holistic assessment of the importance of equipping caregivers of children and youths aged 7-19 years old suffering from a mental illness with the skills and knowledge they require for their caregiving journey, followed by the campaign strategies executed. The paper will also elaborate on recommendations, limitations and the campaign’s sustainability.