By Sujin Thomas

MISTER Tom Low makes people laugh for a living, but he is no clown.

The laughter therapist clucks like a chicken, breaks out into fits of laughter for no rhyme or reason, and does a little jig - just to bring a smile to the faces of those suffering from dementia and depression.

The 70-year-old retired senior corporate executive said his routine is aimed at conjuring happy memories in the minds of mental patients.

Mr Low is a volunteer at the Geylang Serai Laughter Club - which aims to impart the therapeutic benefits of laughter to residents of all ages.

At the launch of the club yesterday, Dr Fatimah Lateef, MP (Marine Parade GRC), said that mental illness is 'a disease of the new millennia'.

She said: 'The Laughter Club will provide a healthy avenue for people to vent whatever is on their minds.'

The event was attended by about 750 people, including elderly residents from the Sunshine Welfare Action Mission home in Sembawang.

Dr Lateef said: 'About 50 per cent of patients do not come forward to seek help because they are worried about what people think of them.'

She added that some older residents she spoke with still associated mental illness with black magic or being in a trance.

As part of an outreach programme to help these residents, more than 20 volunteer nurses regularly visit residents who show symptoms of mental conditions.

Dr Lateef said: 'Some people we have reached out to have started attending our events regularly and improved their family relationships.'

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