Can I Admit Myself to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH)?

Recognising that you may need professional help for your mental health takes immense courage. If you are considering voluntarily admitting yourself to a psychiatric institution, you probably have questions about what the process involves and what you can expect once you arrive.

Here is a gentle guide to help you navigate the admission process, understand what to expect, and know your legal rights as a patient. It covers:

• Whether and who can voluntarily admit themselves to IMH
• FAQs on the registration process for admission to IMH
• Whether you can be denied admission to IMH
• Your rights and responsibilities as a patient at IMH
• Whether you can be detained at IMH against your will after admitting yourself voluntarily
• Whether your admission to IMH will be kept confidential

Can I Voluntarily Admit Myself to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH)?

Any individual who feels that they need psychiatric care can visit the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to be assessed for voluntary admission. IMH is Singapore’s national psychiatric hospital, offering psychiatric, rehabilitative, and counselling services for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.

Psychiatric care broadly encompasses the clinical assessment, medical diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. These conditions range from severe mood and anxiety disorders to acute emotional crises that require specialised clinical intervention. Depending on the individual’s needs, treatment methods may include medication, psychotherapy (such as cognitive behavioural therapy), rehabilitation and other supportive interventions.

However, note that consent requirements may apply based on your age:

• If you are 21 or older: You can request voluntary admission on your own.
• If you are under 21: As 21 is the standard age of majority in Singapore, your parent or legal guardian’s consent is required. If you are not comfortable having your parents involved, IMH allows you to come with a trusted adult above 21 years old, such as an older sibling, relative, or close friend.

FAQs on the Registration Process for Admission to IMH

You can request to admit yourself to IMH voluntarily. If you are seeking admission due to a mental health crisis, such as when dealing with suicidal ideations, severe distress, or psychosis, you do not need a pre-booked appointment. You can walk directly into the 24-hour Emergency Services counter at IMH for registration. Once you register, the multidisciplinary team will evaluate your condition to ensure you receive the appropriate care.

Admission is not automatic and will depend on a clinical assessment by the attending healthcare professional. The healthcare professional must first determine whether inpatient treatment is necessary for your immediate safety and recovery.

Here is a step-by-step procedure you can expect upon your arrival:

• Registration: Upon arrival, you will need to register at the Emergency Services counter for registration and triage/preliminary screening. Priority is given to cases requiring immediate attention. This may include issues such as active suicidal ideation, severe psychosis, or extreme aggressive behaviour. If your situation is less acute, such as worsening anxiety without immediate risk, you may face a longer wait. IMH staff will provide you with an estimated waiting time. Note that walk-ins at Emergency Services tend to be busiest between the hours of 11am and 7pm.
• Consultation/Assessment: An attending healthcare professional will call you into a private room for a consultation. This professional will talk to you about what you are experiencing, evaluate your immediate mental state, and determine if an inpatient stay is the safest and most effective path for your recovery.
• Observation and Stabilisation: If the attending healthcare professional determines that immediate full admission is not required but temporary monitoring is still necessary, you may be placed in the Emergency Services Observation Ward. This ward provides up to 23 hours of short-term treatment and continuous monitoring. Once this period ends, the multidisciplinary team will recommend the next step based on your progress, which can include a safe discharge home, a referral for regular outpatient clinic appointments, or a transfer for inpatient admission.
• Admission: If the attending healthcare professional decides that inpatient admission is necessary, administrative staff will guide you through the next steps. This includes financial counselling and collection of the mandatory ward deposit.

What documents do I need to bring?

You need to bring the following documents for registration:

• Identification documents:
  • NRIC (for citizens and permanent residents)
  • Birth certificate (for patients under 12 years old)
  • Passport and work permit/employment pass (for foreigners)
  • Other valid forms of identification (e.g., an official letter of proof for a lost NRIC, 11B, etc.)
• Referral documents: A referral letter from your GP or polyclinic, if you have one. This is not mandatory for a walk-in but may be helpful.
• Medical benefits documents (if applicable):
  • Civil Service Card
  • Medical Fee Exemption Card
  • Public Assistance Card
  • Letter of Guarantee from your employer
  • Baby Bonus NETS Card
  • Staff Card (if your employer is under IMH’s Hospitalisation Identity Card scheme)

What else can I bring (e.g. clothes, electronics)?

IMH provides standard ward clothing for inpatients during their stay. However, patients staying at certain wards such as the EPIP Inpatient Centre, Mood Disorders Unit, Sayang Wellness Centre, Serenity Centre, Sunrise Wing, or Sunshine Wing have the option to wear their own clothes. If you prefer to wear your own clothing in these specific wards, you should bring your own sets from home. You should also bring your personal toiletries to avoid extra costs, as IMH charges a fee for them, unless you are admitted to the Sayang Wellness Centre, where they are complimentary.

It is advisable to leave your valuables and large amounts of cash at home. If you arrive with these items, you should ask a family member to take them back for you, or hand them to IMH staff for safekeeping. Note that IMH will not be responsible for any loss of valuables or cash kept on the premises.

You should ideally leave personal electronics such as mobile phones and laptops at home. If you do bring them along, the nursing staff may secure these items in a safe for the duration of your stay. However, you may still be allowed to use them depending on your assigned ward and at your doctor’s discretion (as discussed further below).

Is a deposit required for admission?

When you are admitted, IMH will generally collect a deposit to cover your estimated hospital bill. The amount depends on your ward class and the nature of your case.

While a deposit is mandatory for Class A, B1, and B2 wards, you will not be turned away from essential medical care if you cannot pay immediately. If you do not have the financial means for a deposit, you can still be admitted to a subsidised ward (Class B2 or C).

Upon admission, IMH staff will provide an estimated bill and financial counselling. However, your final bill may differ depending on your condition, treatment, length of stay and ward class. Walk-ins to Emergency Services are also subject to an Emergency Attendance Fee.

For more detailed information on the charges for admissions, please refer to the IMH Charges & Payments page. If managing the cost of your psychiatric treatment or hospitalisation poses a financial challenge, you can apply for IMH Financial Assistance for Treatment Fees.

What wards and/or units will I be admitted to?

Depending on your clinical evaluation, age group, and specific treatment needs, you will be assigned to a specialised environment for your recovery. Below is an overview of the inpatient accommodations at IMH:

Ward/Unit	Who It Is For	Accommodation Type/Class	What to Expect
23-Hour Observation Ward	Incoming patients needing initial clinical assessment.	Emergency Services, B2	A brief observation period to determine whether a full hospital admission or discharge is appropriate.
Short-Stay Unit (SSU)	Patients requiring urgent intervention and stabilisation.	B2	Temporary inpatient care focused on acute stabilisation for up to 72 hours before either being discharged or transferred to a longer-term ward.
Mood Disorders Unit (MDU)	Patients with complex or severe mood disorders (e.g., depression and bipolar disorder).	B2 and C	A specialised clinical setting focused on recovery and coping strategies through inpatient programmes, including occupational therapy and psychological skills groups.
Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) Inpatient Centre	Early psychosis management for individuals between the ages of 16 and 40.	C (for those aged 18 and above)	A home-like environment with peer support specialists and structured programmes.
Sunrise Wing	Children and adolescents requiring therapeutic care.	B2	The only dedicated psychiatric ward for children in Singapore with child-friendly facilities (e.g., a multi-sensory room).
Sunshine Wing	Elderly patients aged 65 and above requiring geriatric care.	A1, C	A dedicated environment customised for senior and dementia care, incorporating specialised holistic amenities, such as sensory rooms and a fitness centre.
Serenity Centre	Patients recovering from substance abuse or behavioural compulsions (e.g., gambling).	C	Comprehensive rehabilitation programmes and recovery within a structured, supportive, and secure environment.
Sayang Wellness	Patients opting for private-tier psychiatric care.	A1, B1	Private centre with a calming environment for those who prefer more comfortable accommodation.

Can I Be Denied Admission to IMH?

Yes, it is possible. Hospital admission at IMH is a clinical decision determined by the attending healthcare team. If an evaluation indicates that your condition does not require in-patient treatment or close monitoring, the attending healthcare professional may direct you to outpatient or community-based care.

Depending on your assessment, you may be directed to the following options:

• IMH’s Outpatient Specialist Clinics: You can still receive ongoing psychiatric treatment, follow-up care, and medication reviews without being hospitalised.
• Primary Care: Mild to moderate mental health conditions can be managed closer to home. Many polyclinics are part of the Mental Health-General Practitioner Partnership Programme and are equipped to manage more stable mental health conditions in a primary care setting.

What Are My Rights and Responsibilities as a Patient At IMH?

When you are admitted, IMH staff will review key hospital regulations with you and your family with reference to the Patient Information Sheet. You will also be briefed on your formal patient rights and responsibilities. Understanding these guidelines can help you feel much more informed and secure throughout your stay.

Understanding your rights 

As a patient at IMH, you are legally and ethically entitled to the following standards of care:

• Dignity and Equitable Treatment: You are entitled to receive respectful, appropriate, and cost-effective psychiatric care. This standard applies universally, regardless of your age, gender, race, social status, or the specific nature of your physical or mental illness.
• Safety and Privacy: You will be cared for in a safe environment that respects your privacy. Appropriate protection and care protocols will be provided for vulnerable individuals who require them due to their age, disability, or severe ill health.
• Informed Care and Medical Education: You have the right to receive clear education regarding your diagnosed medical condition. Furthermore, you are entitled to know the names and specific roles of your multidisciplinary treatment team. Fully supervised medical trainees may also participate in your treatment.
• Spiritual and Cultural Respect: You are permitted to request for a religious counsellor to visit and pray with you, provided these arrangements do not disturb or cause harm to other patients.
• Confidentiality: You have the right to privacy and confidentiality of your medical records (e.g., case files and personal health data).
• Informed Consent: Your explicit permission is mandatory for specific medical treatments, procedures, and clinical research studies. If a lack of mental capacity prevents you from making these choices, a legally authorised caregiver can consent on your behalf. In cases where no legal representative exists, your attending doctor can authorise treatment in your best interests after consulting with your family.
• Financial Counselling: Before any medical procedures or services are billed, IMH staff will explain all projected costs and walk you through any available financial aid programmes or subsidies.
• Right to Feedback: You retain the full right to share feedback or report any issues regarding your stay and the standard of treatment you received. If your concerns are not addressed satisfactorily by IMH, you may also file a complaint with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) if the conduct of your attending doctor is in question, or with the Singapore Nursing Board for nursing-related complaints.

The Singapore courts and IMH take any breach of a patient’s right to dignity or safety very seriously. To understand how abusers may be held accountable, we can look at two real-world cases:

1. Case of physical abuse: In 2021, a former IMH staff nurse and a health attendant were prosecuted after being caught mistreating an elderly patient with chronic schizophrenia. The patient had been restrained in his wheelchair when the nurse punched him and sprayed hand sanitiser in his face, while the health attendant slapped him. Upon discovery, IMH immediately terminated both employees, filed a police report, and issued a formal apology to the family. The court sentenced the nurse to 9 weeks’ jail and the health attendant to 3 weeks’ jail.
2. Case of sexual misconduct and assault: A former IMH nurse was sentenced to 4 years, 9 months, and 1 week in jail, plus 10 strokes of the cane. He not only molested vulnerable patients who were admitted to the high-dependency care unit, but also secretly filmed patients naked. His victims included a patient who was heavily sedated and another who was physically restrained to a hospital bed. IMH cooperated fully with police investigations to ensure justice for the victims. In delivering the sentence, the court largely concurred with the prosecution that such an abuse of power compromised the integrity of the nursing profession.

The right to discuss your future care preferences

You have the right to engage in Advance Care Planning (ACP) discussions with your attending doctor and your family. These conversations are vital for guiding future decisions about your healthcare preferences, ensuring your personal wishes are respected if you ever lose the mental capacity to make decisions for yourself.

Depending on your needs, an ACP discussion can also address other relevant care planning tools, which include:

• Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA): A legal document authorising someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity.
• Advance Medical Directive (AMD): A legal document instructing doctors not to use extraordinary life-sustaining treatment if you are terminally ill and unconscious.

If these are topics you have been meaning to address, you can take the opportunity to have these conversations with your attending doctor.

Understanding your responsibilities

To ensure a safe and effective recovery environment, your responsibilities as a patient include:

• Providing Full Disclosure: You should provide the attending medical team with complete, accurate, and transparent details regarding your health history and current condition.
• Compliance with Treatment: Actively following the agreed-upon treatment plan established by your attending team.
• Consideration for Other Patients: Display mutual courtesy, respect, and consideration toward all hospital staff members and your fellow patients.
• Financial Accountability: You should fulfil your financial obligations by settling your hospital bills in a timely manner.

Do I have the right to refuse or discontinue treatment?

As a voluntary patient, you generally have the right to decline recommended medical procedures or discontinue your treatment plan. However, if you exercise this right, IMH and its medical staff will not be responsible for any negative health outcomes or medical complications that result from your decision. It is advisable to have an open conversation with your attending medical team about your concerns before making this choice.

Do I have the right to leave and re-enter IMH upon admission?

As a voluntary patient, you have the right to leave IMH during your stay, but re-entry is not automatic. While you can choose to leave, you should first check with your attending doctor before doing so.  If you decide to leave against the doctor’s advice, you still have the right to do so. However, the same caveats about medical responsibility apply, meaning that the hospital cannot be held responsible for any consequences that follow. As leaving in this instance is likely to constitute a formal discharge, you may have to undergo the admission process and its related procedures and costs again.

You should be aware that this right does not apply if you have been placed under involuntary detention under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act (MHCTA), the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), or the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA). In those circumstances, your rights will be governed by the relevant legislation.

For example, if you voluntarily admit yourself to IMH but, during your stay, a designated medical practitioner places you under involuntary detention under the MHCTA (as discussed below), you may no longer be allowed to leave IMH until your detention comes to an end.

Do I have the right to use electronic devices and make calls?

While mobile phone use is permitted in general and speciality wards, it is strictly prohibited in forensic wards. These wards are designated for patients who are remanded by the Singapore courts and are required to undergo psychiatric evaluations. Therefore, stricter limits on communication and visitations apply.

If you are staying in a ward that allows mobile phone usage, you must maintain courtesy and respect the privacy of other patients (e.g., strictly no taking of photos or videos). You may also approach your attending nurse for assistance if you need to make a phone call, such as if your mobile phone has been placed in the hospital safe for safekeeping.

The usage of other electronic devices, including laptops and tablets, requires the approval of your attending doctor and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Do I have the right to visitors?

You have the right to meet and speak with family, friends, and other visitors during your ward’s designated visiting hours, with a general limit of 2 visitors at a time. However, this arrangement is subject to changes due to unforeseen circumstances or specific clinical orders from your attending doctor.

Additionally, if a caregiver wishes to stay beyond the stipulated visiting hours to support your recovery, they may request permission from the attending team. You can check directly with the ward nurses on facilitating this.

Do I have the right to refuse discharge from IMH?

Your attending doctor will notify you when you are ready to be discharged. You should arrange for a family member or friend to accompany you home. Note that the discharge process may take some time, as the medical team and administrative staff must finalise your prescriptions, schedule follow-up appointments, and complete final clinical reviews.

Once you are medically fit for discharge and a discharge destination has been confirmed, you are expected to leave the hospital. If you insist on remaining in the ward despite being medically cleared, you may be classified as a Social Overstayer (SO). The rationale for this policy is to ensure that inpatient hospital beds remain available for patients who are acutely ill and urgently require medical care.

Since inpatient treatment is no longer required and continuing care options are available for discharged patients at outpatient facilities, you will be given a 6-day grace period to arrange your discharge. From the 7th day onwards, you must bear the full cost of your stay, as all government subsidies and financial assistance, including MediShield Life and MediFund Assistance, will be withdrawn. For instance, if you were to overstay at a class C ward, the daily rate would increase from the subsidised fee of $69.60 to the full, unsubsidised rate of $383.18 (GST inclusive).

What if you feel you have nowhere to go?

If your reluctance to leave IMH stems from an unstable living condition or because you have nowhere to go, you do not have to manage this transition alone.

Before your discharge date, request to speak with a member of IMH’s multidisciplinary team (for instance, a medical social worker). They can evaluate your circumstances and help connect you to community resources through the Agency for Integrated Care. One such option is a psychiatric rehabilitation home, which is a residential facility that supports individuals with mental health conditions in rebuilding daily living skills, managing symptoms, and reintegrating into the community. While the facility is intended as a transitional residence, residents stay for 18 to 24 months on average, and sometimes up to several years, depending on their recovery and the availability of other housing options.

You may also be able to receive support from the Community Mental Health Team, which provides home visits and ongoing care for patients who have been discharged into the community.

Can I Be Detained at IMH Against My Will After Admitting Myself Voluntarily?

Yes, this can happen. Voluntary admission does not guarantee that you will remain a voluntary patient for the duration of your stay.

If, during your stay, a designated medical practitioner concludes that your mental health condition requires continued inpatient treatment and that keeping you in the hospital is necessary to protect your well-being or the safety of others, you can be involuntarily detained under the MHCTA.

The transition to involuntary status follows strict legal protocols, which dictate how long you can be held for compulsory assessment and treatment:

• Initial Detention (Form 1): You can be detained for an initial period of up to 72 hours for assessment and treatment.
• First Extension (Form 2): If further treatment and observation are deemed necessary, this detention can be extended for up to 1 month.
• Further Extension (Form 3): If your condition remains severe and warrants continued inpatient care, the detention can be extended for up to an additional 6 months, subject to separate examinations by 2 designated medical practitioners (one of whom must be a psychiatrist) who both agree that further treatment is necessary.

For a more comprehensive discussion of what involuntary detention involves and the strict safeguards in place during this period, you can refer to our article: Can a Mentally Ill Person Be Involuntarily Detained in Singapore?

Will My Admission to IMH Be Kept Confidential?

A significant reason people hesitate to seek psychiatric help is the fear of others finding out, especially current or potential employers. The good news is that your medical information is protected by doctor-patient confidentiality. As a general rule, IMH will not disclose your admission or medical records without your consent.

However, there are limited exceptions where disclosure is permitted or required by law, such as in emergencies or where a doctor reasonably believes it is necessary to protect you from immediate and serious harm. For example, if you tell your doctor that you intend to seriously harm yourself or someone else, the doctor may disclose relevant information to the appropriate persons or authorities without your consent if it is necessary to prevent immediate and serious harm.

If you are under 21, confidentiality guidelines include an additional exception. Your attending medical team may reach out to your parents to discuss your care. This step is taken after a doctor evaluates your case, and only if it is considered to be in your best interests or if there are significant risks involved.

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As a voluntary patient, you retain important rights throughout your stay, including the right to refuse treatment, to receive visitors, and to be treated with dignity. While voluntary admission allows you to request assistance on your own terms, the MHCTA provides safeguards to ensure that those going through an acute mental health crisis receive the care they need.

If you believe that your patient rights have been violated, or that you have received inadequate care, you may have avenues for recourse. Consulting an experienced criminal lawyer can help you understand your legal options and assist you in taking legal action where warranted.

For mental health support or to provide feedback, please refer to the following resources:

• IMH 24-Hour Hotline: 6389 2000 (For immediate, acute psychiatric crises, emergency medical interventions, or general hospital enquiries)
• National Mindline: Dial 1771 / WhatsApp: 6669 1771 (A 24/7 digital national helpline for confidential emotional support and mental health guidance)
• Patient Relations Office: 6389 1918 (For submitting formal feedback, complaints/grievances regarding staff conduct, or compliments).