New NTU master’s in psychology offers study of dying, death and bereavement

As part of efforts to strengthen Singapore’s mental healthcare capacity, a new programme at NTU will offer a master’s-level specialisation in thanatology – the study of dying, death and bereavement. The specialisation will allow Master of Science in Psychology students to learn how to provide bereavement support and grief intervention. Death remains a taboo topic in many Asian societies, even though conversations about the subject have opened up in recent years amid a greater emphasis on end-of-life care planning, said NTU provost’s chair in psychology Andy Ho. The other specialisations under the new NTU programme are community health psychology, neuropsychology and forensic psychology. These specialisations were chosen because, beyond just treating people with mental health disorders, there is also a need for training to address psychological interventions at a community level, said Dr Rebecca Nichols, the programme director. The new programme will begin in August with an expected intake of up to 40 students.

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- Similar story in Tamil Murasu online, 27 Jan