Institute of Mental Health to establish national research centre as part of transformation

The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is planning a new national mental health research centre as part of its transformation. The centre will bring together partners including healthcare clusters, institutes of higher learning and government agencies, forming a key part of Singapore’s mental health research strategy.

Dr Jamie Mervyn Lim, chief executive officer of IMH, said mental health is shaped by the social environment. The institute hopes to conduct more locally focused clinical research to gather clinical evidence that reflects Singapore’s circumstances and society, rather than relying on Western research.

He said: “The new centre will build research capability among clinicians and develop clinician-scientists. The centre will also actively compete for National Research Foundation grants to ensure our research projects better serve national needs.”

The institute has set up an interim committee to explore the research centre’s organisational structure and priority areas. More details will be announced next year.

IMH will mark its centenary in 2028. Previously known as Woodbridge Hospital, it was formally renamed the Institute of Mental Health after moving to its current premises at Buangkok Green Medical Park in 1993.

Each name change has reflected an expansion of the hospital’s role. Next year’s renaming will mark another major step forward for IMH. By 2040, a comprehensive redevelopment will also transform its existing campus into a larger specialist hospital with more modern facilities.

The redevelopment of IMH’s campus will be carried out in phases while the hospital remains operational. Work is expected to be fully completed by 2040.

Dr Lim said the new campus must be designed around how psychiatric care will develop over the next ten to 15 years.

“Future wards should not be designed around containment; they should provide an environment that helps people recover during their stay. Greenery, gardens and open spaces can contribute to that. The infrastructure should reflect the model of care rather than simply reproduce a standard hospital design.”

Dr Lim said IMH’s renaming would not be a restructuring completed overnight, but “the start of a long journey”.

After becoming a national specialist centre, the institute will work to create a mental health ecosystem that meets the full spectrum of needs, from mental well-being to the treatment of mental illness. “What we really want to achieve as a national center is to create a healthcare ecosystem that enables persons in recovery to live, to recover, and to participate meaningfully in society.”