Updated: Sep 30, 2022

The partnership aims to destigmatize mental health and pioneer seamless access to biopsychosocial support for Major Depressive Disorder in Singapore

SINGAPORE [1 December] — With a shared mission to improve access to mental health support in Singapore, ThoughtFull and Pfizer Singapore today announce an exclusive partnership, which will see them work together to break down stigmas surrounding mental health and promote seamless accessibility to biopsychosocial care for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in Singapore. This collaboration, which will connect psychosocial professionals such as Counsellors and Psychologists, to healthcare providers such as Psychiatrists and Primary Care doctors, is the first of its kind to join key facets of the mental health care ecosystem on one platform for users and aims to set the standard for holistic mental healthcare.

Smashing Stigmas

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the leading causes of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures in the Asia-Pacific region, and up to 90% of people living with MDD do not seek help. In Singapore, the treatment gap for the condition stands at over 73% according to a 2016 study by the Institute of Mental Health, due to stigma as well as accessibility issues attributed to fragmented care models between biological and psychological care. The treatment gap for MDD can be significantly narrowed with proper mental healthcare infrastructure in place and timely care delivery. Smashing stigmas associated with seeking help, increasing psychosocial education, and providing seamless access to psychological as well as pharmacological care is paramount in bridging the treatment gap.

One of the main goals of the partnership between Pfizer Singapore and ThoughtFull is to pioneer more seamless access to biopsychosocial care for the community with their combined expertise in pharmacological and psychosocial care respectively. The initiative will not only deepen cross-sectorial synergies within the mental healthcare provider ecosystem but also provide access to psychosocial support via ThoughtFull’s app, ThoughtFullChat. From curated self-serve content, tracking, as well as,

Erika Pagani, Country Manager for Pfizer Singapore, said, “The pandemic has revealed the urgency and necessity for resources and opportunities for mental health support, given how the stressors of life can lead to and even exacerbate underlying mental health conditions. This is compounded by social distancing, which is important to decelerate the spread of COVID-19 yet disrupts social rhythm and deprives people of their regular coping mechanisms. We initiated this partnership with ThoughtFull based on a shared purpose to challenge the stigmas associated with mental health and to develop a digital mental health space that will help support the mental healthcare ecosystem in Singapore.”

Strengthening The Treatment Ecosystem

ThoughtFull’s focus lies in providing psychosocial support to users through its proprietary architecture on its mobile apps; the partnership will see Pfizer Singapore complement this approach, elevating the biopsychosocial ecosystem for mental health support in Singapore by connecting psychosocial and pharmacological care to add value to their practice and thus address current treatment gaps. Ultimately, the partnership will enable greater accessibility to precise and timely mental health care.

Commenting on the partnership, Joan Low, Founder and CEO of ThoughtFull said: “The pandemic not only brought to light the ubiquity of mental health challenges, but also the acute gaps in end-to-end care delivery both online and offline. As we transition out of this pandemic, our work to close these gaps in biopsychosocial support has only just begun. We are thrilled to partner with Pfizer Singapore to pioneer greater accessibility to seamless care at scale for our community.”

Aligned with ThoughtFull’s core mission of enabling timely, personalized end-to-end mental healthcare access, ThoughtFull and Pfizer Singapore will, through this partnership, aim to smooth the process for Singaporeans to proactively engage with their mental wellbeing.

As part of the ThoughtFull x Pfizer Singapore initiative, users can use the promo code <TFPZ3> for a free 3-month subscription to ThoughtFull Chat. Users can select the 3-month package via the ThoughtFullChat app and input the given code to enjoy the free trial.

To learn more about ThoughtFull, please visit www.thoughtfull.world or download the ThoughtFullChat mobile app from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.