Mental health a Stigma in Asia?

Yes and no. In some countries, yes people with mental health issues are ostracized and ignored. I've heard of people being chained in their family's basements or sheds because of their conditions in rural parts of Asia. Due to superstition and a lack of awareness as well as a general fear of the unknown, sad cases like these are heard of every now and then especially when the media gets wind of the news. But sadly, alot of such extreme stigma cases goes on unheard. In Singapore, I think while improvements and awareness have been made, more can be done. Alot of people with mental health issues are still hush-hush about it because they fear losing their jobs etc. Alot of job applications have a box where you declare whether or not you have any mental health related issues.

Yes, I believe there is still a stigma against mental disorders in Singapore. There is a lack of understanding towards various disorders. According to this article (http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/considerable-stigma-towards-mentally-ill-imh-study), not many people could correctly identify a disorder based on the descriptions of symptoms. Personally, I feel that while efforts have been made to help people understand more about the common disorders, some are still unwilling to seek treatment for fear of being labelled or being isolated by others. Hopefully, things will change with the help of popularity of internet to help everyone become better informed and eradicate the stigma currently associated with people with mental conditions.