VOS X MSC: NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC WEBINAR HIGHLIGHTS
Featuring 3 expert speakers from paediatric, psychiatric and music background respectively, the 1.5 hours webinar was held on 5 June 2021 at 10.30am. Jointly organised by Voices of Singapore and Mind Science Centre, the webinar addressed how one can enhance mental resilience and overcoming pandemic fatigue through song and music. Not forgetting to mention, the panel speakers weighed in on the current COVID-19 situation in Singapore and provided professional opinions on vaccinating children. Here’s a quick recap on the key messages!
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Dr Chan Si Min
Head & Senior Consultant, Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases
Department of Paediatrics, Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Hospital
- COVID-19 is known to impact on children’s physical well-being even after recovery from the virus. This was reported in United States, Europe and India as Multi-inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), also known as Paediatric Inflammatory Multi-Sytem Syndrome (PIMS).
- Beyond physical well-being, we should not neglect the collateral damage to children’s mental health after COVID-19 diagnosis. Kids may face stigma and bullying after recovering and returning to school, potentially having self-esteem issues in the long run. Stress, anxiety and loneliness may result from prolonged isolation in wards.
- Vaccine hesitancy + economic hardship + dissatisfaction with government = vulnerability to anti-vaccine sentiment
- Take Home Message: It’s time for us to think of the children!
Prof Kua Ee Heok
Tan Geok Yin Professor in Psychiatry and Neuroscience, National University of Singapore
Advisor, Mind Science Centre
Emeritus Consultant, National University Hospital
- There is a syndemic, characterised by COVID-19 pandemic and a pandemic of fear.
- Singing can help with mood and cognition, where dopamine and oxytocin are involved in the process. There is a recent study paper published in December 2020, which reported research findings relating to choral singing and its benefits on cognition.
(Otherwise, the research is featured in our inaugural curation at Mind Art Experiential Lab, take a look here!)
- Take Home Message: We need to build mental resilience to prevent COVID-Anxiety through
- Acknowledging the new norm
- Information
- Exercise
- Diet
- Mindfulness Practice
- Recreation Activities
- Building Social Capital
For the seniors, do you know that you can engage in active ageing (covering the recommended ways above) even in your homes? Check out our Age Well Everyday (AWE) e-learning programmes HERE.
Mr Darius Lim
Artistic Director, Voices of Singapore
- Singing can heal the wounds that medicine cannot touch.
- Songs are able to capture something that goes beyond what we would normally be able to articulate in our rational, logical minds.
- A key skill in singing is learning to focus on controlling your rate of breathing. This activates part of the brain that are linked to emotion. Sounds made by our voices allow freedom of emotion, of which words cannot express.
- When your mood is up, it strengthens the immune system and we can respond to stress factors in a more positive way.
Check out the video highlights here!
We hope you enjoyed this webinar, and we look forward to seeing you again. Mind Science Centre will be updating on this page when the video is ready for sharing. Webinar videos are for educational purposes, in line with our goals to share knowledge and benefit the community. Please do not replicate the videos or slides without permission.
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