Daniel Fung Explained

Daniel Fung Shuen Sheng (born 1966) is a Singaporean psychiatrist and researcher who is the current chief executive officer of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).^{[1] [2]} Fung was also the president of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions and of the College of Psychiatrists in Singapore.^{[3] [4]}

Career

Fung joined IMH in 1993.^[5] From 2007 to 2011, he was the head of the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at IMH.^[6] He was also chairman of the hospital's medical board; under his leadership, IMH initiated the peer support specialist programme and invested more resources into early and community intervention.^[7] Fung was also director of REACH, IMH's community health programme,^[8] and president of the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH). During his presidency, SAMH won a Charity Governance Award for good governance.^[9]

Fung was appointed chief executive officer of the Institute of Mental Health in 2021, succeeding Chua Hong Choon.^{[10] [11]} As CEO of the hospital, Fung has stated an intention for IMH to combat stress and mental health illiteracy in the local community beyond providing medical care to patients.^{[12] [13]}

In 2022, the Straits Times misquoted Fung as having advised parents to watch pornography with their children, which drew criticism from some online commentators. The Straits Times later corrected their article and removed the original quote.^[14] Fung had previously advocated against parents exposing children to pornography.^[15]

A biographical comic on his career as well as the history of child and adolescent psychiatry in Singapore is presented here ^[16]

Personal life

Fung is married and has four daughters and one son.^[17]

Selected bibliography

Books

• Survivors: Breaking The Silence On Child Sexual Abuse^[18]
• The Stress Wars^[19]

Selected Journal articles

• Seang-Mei Saw, Say-Beng Tan, Daniel Fung, et al.; IQ and the Association with Myopia in Children. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.2004;45(9):2943-2948. doi: https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.03-1296.
• Manassis, K., Fung, D., et al. (2003), Characterizing selective mutism: Is it more than social anxiety?. Depress. Anxiety, 18: 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10125
• Ooi, Y. P., Ang, R. P., Fung, D. S. S., et al. (2006). The Impact of Parent–Child Attachment on Aggression, Social Stress and Self-Esteem. School Psychology International, 27(5), 552–566. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034306073402
• Woo BS, Ng TP, Fung DS, et al. Emotional and behavioural problems in Singaporean children based on parent, teacher and child reports. Singapore Med J. 2007 Dec;48(12):1100-6. PMID 18043836.
• Bernardine S.C. Woo, W.C. Chang, Daniel S.S. Fung, et al., Development and validation of a depression scale for Asian adolescents, Journal of Adolescence, Volume 27, Issue 6, 2004, Pages 677–689, ISSN 0140-1971, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.12.004.
• Xie, Y., Boon, J., Sim, W., & Fung, D. (2015). A Singapore model – REACH. In S. Kutcher, Y. Wei, & M. Weist (Eds.), School Mental Health: Global Challenges and Opportunities (pp. 202–217). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Chodavadia, P., Teo, I., Poremski, D. et al. Prevalence and economic burden of depression and anxiety symptoms among Singaporean adults: results from a 2022 web panel. BMC Psychiatry 23, 104 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04581-7

External links

• Daniel Fung on Google Scholar

Notes and References

1. Web site: Goh . Yan Han . Qing . Ang . Ng . Gabrielle . Helping youth improve mental health amid rising pressures . The Straits Times . en . 25 July 2021.
2. Web site: Adjunct Faculty Staff Details . 2023-07-14 . Duke-NUS . en.
3. News: Saleh . Amjad . World's largest mental health congress for children and adolescents opens at DWTC . 14 July 2023 . WAM . 12 June 2022.
4. Web site: Fung . Daniel . College of Psychiatrists Scope Newsletter 1 . 14 July 2023 . Academy of Medicine, Singapore.
5. News: Gan . Eveline . Gen Z faces different forms of stress, may be more anxious, depressed than others before them, says IMH CEO . 14 July 2023 . TODAY . February 27, 2021 . en.
6. Web site: Fung . Daniel . On the Shoulders of Giants . Singapore Medical Association . 14 July 2023.
7. Web site: Exclusive: Inside Singapore's mental health hospital . 2023-07-14 . govinsider.asia . en.
8. News: Chan . Wayne . 9 November 2010 . A mind-field for children . 1 . TODAY .
9. News: Neo . Chai Chin . 7 November 2012 . Two VWOs lauded for good governance . 34 . TODAY .
10. Web site: SPEECH BY MR EDWIN TONG, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF LAW & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH (IMH) NURSES' DAY 2019, 2 AUGUST 2019 . 2023-07-15 . www.moh.gov.sg.
11. Web site: Researcher profile . Institute of Mental Health.
12. News: Teo . Joyce . 2022-06-01 . Health Check Podcast: IMH CEO wants to wage war on stress . en . The Straits Times . 2023-07-15 . 0585-3923.
13. Web site: Low . Youjin . Lost productivity due to depression and anxiety may cost Singapore nearly S$16b a year: IMH, Duke-NUS study . 2023-07-15 . TODAY . en.
14. News: Ang . Qing . 2022-02-09 . Call for parents to go beyond just protection and prepare kids against online grooming, pornography . en . The Straits Times . 2023-10-16 . 0585-3923.
15. News: Fung . Daniel . 1 November 2005 . ASK THE DOC . 30 . TODAY .
16. Web site: Daniel . Fung . Stress Wars . www.nlb.gov.sg . 2 February 2024.
17. Web site: Daniel . Fung . My Mental Illness . www.sma.org.sg . 14 July 2023.
18. Web site: Gan . Evelyn . Child sex offenders generally lack remorse: Psychiatrist . TODAY . 14 July 2023 . en.
19. News: Gan . Eveline . Gen Z faces different forms of stress, may be more anxious, depressed than others before them, says IMH CEO . 14 July 2023 . TODAY . February 27, 2021 . en.