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*SCAPE Singapore
10 September 2026, Thursday
9:00am - 5:00pm

In conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day, this symposium organised by Samaritans of Singapore aims to bring together professionals, organisations and community partners to explore lived experiences, shared responsibilities and future pathways towards a more compassionate and supportive society.

Register Now!

Register before 30 June 2026 to enjoy the early bird special price of $190! (Regular price: $260)

There is a limited number of early bird tickets available, so make sure you purchase yours as soon as possible to secure your spot! Please also note that seating capacity is limited for each session.

Sign up here today!
About The Symposium

In Singapore, lives continue to be lost to suicide each year, yet many struggles remain unseen and unheard.

Since 1969, Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) has served as Singapore’s national suicide prevention agency, offering emotional support to people in crisis, thinking of suicide, or affected by suicide. For the past 57 years, SOS has worked alongside communities, professionals and partners to ensure that no one has to face their darkest moments alone. This year, we are bringing back our SOS Suicide Prevention Symposium, renewing the platform and space for dialogue, learning and shared responsibility in suicide prevention.

Held on 10 September 2026 in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day, the symposium gathers sector professionals, corporate leaders, and community partners for a full day of meaningful conversations and exchange. Suicide remains a serious public health concern that cuts across age groups, backgrounds and cultures. Yet in Singapore, it is still often surrounded by silence and stigma. At a time when mental health challenges are increasingly visible, there is a growing need for deeper understanding, open conversations and coordinated efforts across sectors to support those in distress.

Anchored by the theme, Sonder: Where Resilience Meets Collective Hope, this year’s symposium invites participants to recognise a powerful truth: every person we encounter carries a life as complex and significant as our own. Through this lens, the symposium explores how empathy, connection and shared responsibility can strengthen our collective response to suicide and mental health challenges.

The programme is designed as a journey across three interconnected segments. Human Stories: The Power of Connection centres lived experiences and personal narratives, reminding us of the human realities behind suicide statistics. Shared Responsibilities: Communities that Care brings together practitioners, organisations and partners to explore how collaborative action can strengthen prevention, intervention and postvention efforts. Finally, Reimagining Hope: Pathways Forward looks ahead, examining emerging ideas and possibilities that can shape a more compassionate and supportive mental health landscape.

Through keynote conversations, thematic sessions and diverse voices from across sectors, the SOS Suicide Prevention Symposium aims to deepen understanding and inspire action. By bringing together individuals who care about this cause, we hope to spark new perspectives, strengthen partnerships and move closer to a future where every person in distress can find support, connection and hope.

Opening Keynote
Professor Jo Robinson AM 
Professor and Head of Suicide Prevention and Scientific Director of the Orygen Policy Centre
Orygen, the Centre for Youth Mental Health and the University of Melbourne
Right Here, Right Now: Addressing Suicide Among Young Adults Where Life Pressures Collide
Suicide remains a major public health challenge, with rates stubbornly high among young people. Addressing this requires an understanding of the social determinants driving youth self-harm and suicide, alongside prevention approaches that are co-designed, evidence-based, and scalable. 
In this presentation, Professor Robinson will introduce a new programme of work co-developed with young people that employs robust methodologies and has the capacity to be delivered at scale. Central to this is the Right Here Right Now study, a national survey of nearly 3,000 young Australians examining key social determinants and individual risk factors, including cost of living pressures, housing insecurity, climate anxiety, intimate partner violence, and online experiences.
These issues are similarly relevant to young adults in Singapore. Findings from this study are informing Australian government policy development and shaping targeted “just in time” interventions to support young people where and when help is needed.
Closing Keynote
A/Prof Daniel Fung Shuan Sheng
Chief Wellness Officer 
National Healthcare Group
To Be or Not To Be: Shakespeare, Spirituality and the Search for Hope in a Troubled World
More than four centuries ago, Shakespeare’s Hamlet posed one of humanity’s most enduring questions: “To be or not to be?” Today, that question continues to echo in different forms as rising numbers of young people struggle with loneliness, despair, disconnection and uncertainty about the future. 
In this closing keynote, child and adolescent psychiatrist A/Prof Daniel Fung explores what suicide is really telling us about ourselves, our families and our society. Drawing from psychiatry, psychology, philosophy and spirituality, he examines why suicide cannot be understood solely as an individual mental health issue, but also as a reflection of deeper questions about meaning, belonging, purpose and hope. 
Moving beyond crisis intervention alone, this keynote challenges us to consider how families, schools, communities and society can create the conditions that help people flourish. Ultimately, the question before us is not only how we prevent suicide, but how we build a world in which more people find reasons to live. 
How To Get There

*SCAPE Singapore (2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978)

Check out the carpark Terms & Conditions here.

Donors & Sponsors

Organisations interested in partnership, sponsorship or collaboration opportunities may contact the SOS team at comms@sos.org.sg.

Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the SOS Suicide Prevention Symposium about?

The SOS Suicide Prevention Symposium is a platform organised by Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) that brings together professionals, corporates and community partners to deepen understanding and strengthen collaboration in suicide prevention and mental health.

Centred on the theme “Sonder: Where Resilience Meets Collective Hope”, the symposium explores how empathy, connection and shared responsibility can shape more compassionate and effective approaches to suicide prevention.

The symposium will be held on:

  • Date: 10 September 2026, Thursday
  • Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm
  • Venue: *SCAPE Singapore (2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978)

The symposium is designed for:

  • Mental health professionals
  • Social service practitioners
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Educators and youth workers
  • Corporate leaders and HR professionals
  • Community organisations
  • Individuals interested in suicide prevention and mental health advocacy

Anyone interested in strengthening understanding and collaboration in suicide prevention is welcome.

The programme will explore topics across the continuum of care in suicide prevention, including:

  • Lived experiences related to crisis and suicide loss
  • Community and organisational roles in suicide prevention
  • Emerging youth, young adults and elderly mental health concerns
  • Crisis intervention and support strategies
  • Postvention and support for those affected by suicide
  • Future directions in mental health and suicide prevention

Check out the full symposium programme here.

Participants can expect:
  • Keynote presentations from experts and practitioners
  • Thematic panel discussions
  • Parallel sessions featuring diverse perspectives
  • Insights from individuals with lived experience
  • Opportunities for learning, reflection and cross sector dialogue
The programme is structured around three segments:
  1. Human Stories: The Power of Connection
  2. Shared Responsibilities: Communities that Care
  3. Reimagining Hope: Pathways Forward

The symposium will feature a diverse line-up of speakers including:

  • Mental health practitioners
  • Researchers and academics
  • Individuals struggling with suicidality
  • Persons bereaved by suicide loss
  • Community and sector partners

Check out the full speaker lineup here.

Register before 30 June 2026 to enjoy the early bird special! 

Early bird special: $190

Regular price: $260

There is a limited number of early bird tickets available, so make sure you purchase yours as soon as possible to secure your spot! Please also note that seating capacity is limited for each session. 

Registration can be made through the Klook platform.

Yes. The symposium programme will include designated breaks that allow participants to connect with other professionals, organisations and partners working in suicide prevention and mental health.

The symposium is planned as an in-person event. There will no recordings of the symposium available online.

Organisations interested in partnership, sponsorship or collaboration opportunities may contact the SOS team at comms@sos.org.sg.

For enquiries about the symposium, please contact the team at Samaritans of Singapore at comms@sos.org.sg.

Discussions around suicide and mental health can be sensitive. Participants are encouraged to engage at their own pace and take breaks if needed. Support resources will be available during the symposium.

About SOS

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) is a secular, non-profit suicide prevention centre. Since its establishment in 1969, SOS has developed into a professionally run and managed organisation. It adopts a holistic approach to suicide-related topics, focusing on prevention, intervention and postvention, an intervention conducted after a suicide for loved ones and friends. With the mission to be an available lifeline to anyone in crisis, SOS offers emotional support to people in crisis, thinking of suicide, or affected by suicide. All information shared with SOS is treated as confidential and people can choose to remain anonymous.

Contact Us

24-hour Hotline: 1767

24-hour CareText: 9151 1767
(via WhatsApp)

For further enquires, please contact us comms@sos.org.sg.

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