🌱 A Gen Z’s take on mental health concerns in Singapore

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⚠️ Trigger warning ⚠️: This newsletter issue will discuss topics such as suicide and self-harm.

I saw the consequences of mental health challenges before I even learnt about what “mental health” is. When I was in school, I saw a student try to jump from the fourth floor. Back then, everything was very hush-hush. The school never addressed it, and life was expected to continue. 

While mental health challenges have always existed, they are perhaps (finally) receiving more appropriate attention today. 

In this issue, thrive speaks to people living with mental health challenges to better understand how various individuals experience and strive to manage their mental health.

In this week's issue

• Find out which sectors are expected to get the fattest bonuses heading into 2025 💰
• What is martial law and how does it affect South Korea’s economy and business? 🚨
• Stand a chance to win up to S$3,000 and a pair of limited-edition trainers by submitting your design for a pair of sneakers

📈 Counting our odds?

The data is sobering.

About one in three young people (30.6 per cent) here have reported experiencing severe or extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or stress, according to the Singapore Institute of Mental Health (IMH), which released the results of its first National Youth Mental Health Study in September 2024. 

According to the Samaritans of Singapore, suicide remained the leading cause of death for young people aged between 10 and 29 for the fifth year as of 2023, constituting 29.2 per cent of all deaths within this age group.

So why are such issues more prevalent today?

Studies have suggested that social media may be a big factor. According to the IMH survey, symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or stress were associated with the following:

• spending more than three hours on social media platforms a day – about one in four  youths (27 per cent) reported doing so
• cyberbullying – about one in five youth (21 per cent) reported having been cyberbullied
• vaping, smoking and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

While such studies are a good step, perhaps we need to accept some hard truths – there is no single answer as to why mental health issues are so prevalent today. As it stands, for instance, high social media usage is simply correlated to the incidence of mental health challenges and not necessarily a cause of such conditions. 

While social media can heighten social comparisons and provide a platform for cyberbullying, it is also a means for genuine entertainment, connection and education. It’s ultimately about how these platforms are utilised. It could be that people use social media more if they are feeling stressed or lonely (i.e. as a coping mechanism).

Moreover, trying to use “social media” as an explanation for the mental health challenges people are facing today might be too reductive, which could get in the way of the search for real answers.

🤷 In reality, mental health is more complex than that…

As much as we all hope to find a single source for all our problems, we need to recognise that mental health has always been, and will always be, a complex issue with no easy answers. 

In fact, there are many other factors which have been associated with mental health illnesses / challenges, such as:

• The chemical makeup of one’s brain
• Family history of mental health illnesses
• Physical illness, loss, grief
• Relationship challenges – friends, family, workplace, significant other
• A competitive education system
• Long working hours, unhealthy workplace environments
• Financial struggles, rising cost of living
• Adverse childhood experiences
• Abuse
• Uncertainty, existential dread 

Every individual has unique circumstances and challenges. Some may be mentally well even after going through many challenges in life (good for them!), while others may not appear to have experienced anything traumatic and still be in distress. 

We should refrain from blanket judgements or assumptions of what is a valid basis for distress. 

🧠 Mental health challenges may present themselves in different ways

Equally, we should not be generalising what it means to be living with mental health challenges.

For most of history, people associated mental illnesses with “madness” or bizarre behaviours. 

In reality, there are many different types of mental health disorders beyond the more well-known ones, such as depression and anxiety. You might not have heard of the following disorders: dysthymia (persistently low mood), dissociative disorders or orthorexia (obsession with clean eating).

Additionally, mental health challenges exist on a spectrum. Even with the same illness, one person could be experiencing severe life disruptions while another has no obvious symptoms and may be achieving huge conventional success in life. Both of these experiences are equally valid.

I’ve had friends take years off of school to focus on mental health. I’ve seen others admitted into IMH. 

Another friend is literally thriving in the eyes of society – she’s got a supportive family, was educated in a prestigious university, and is one of the kindest and funniest people I know. But she has also had panic attacks so severe that she had to be hospitalised. 

Essentially, there is so much more to people than what we see on the surface.

😮💨 Why it’s so hard to seek help

One in three youth (30.9 per cent) in the IMH survey did not seek help (despite having severe symptoms) due to fears that specialists would not be able to help them, social stigma, confidentiality or being left with a permanent record.

Even today, there is the perception that those with mental health challenges are “weak”, going through a “phase", or must have experienced something “traumatic”. They’ve even been called a “generational issue”. 

Most of us internalise these beliefs, which makes it hard to seek help – both due to the fear of social judgement as well as internal shame.  

Additionally, seeing a mental health professional (even in public hospitals) can be expensive. Cheaper alternatives come with long waiting times and limitations (e.g. no choice of who you will see and the number of sessions you can have). 

This is especially significant for youth who may not be earning an income while in school. For similar reasons, lower-income groups are also disproportionately affected.

🌅 Moving forward

Mental health challenges – albeit often invisible – are equally as real as physical illnesses. They impact individuals and their families. Yet, they are often harder to detect, diagnose, and treat. It also means that mental health challenges are often overlooked.

As such, it is heartening to see that there has been more awareness, acceptance, and institutional effort to address mental health concerns at hospitals, schools and workplaces. Insurance companies are also starting to allow claims for mental health services, and it has even been proposed in to lower the age of consent for seeking mental health services from 21 to 18.

But there is more to be done. I hope that more qualitative approaches to study the issue will be taken and formal regulations on mental health services will be implemented.

Nevertheless, this is a phenomenon that the government alone cannot change. It requires each of us to educate ourselves, review our prejudices and make a conscious effort to choose empathy in our everyday lives. 

👌 Things we can do:

• Stop using terms such as “depressed”, “retarded”, “autistic”, “OCD” casually or as insults
• Stop self-diagnosing, it makes it harder for those who really need help to get it. Always seek the opinion of a medical professional if you suspect that you, or someone you know, is suffering from a mental health disorder
• Don’t call people “weak” just because they may be struggling with something
• Be patient with yourself and your loved ones
• Try not to judge; rather, listen, empathise and validate
• Communicate your needs and boundaries where you need to – whether at work, with friends, family, or on social media
• Take care of your body – get enough food, sleep, and exercise

TL;DR

• About one in three young people (30.6 per cent) today report experiencing severe or extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or stress
• We should recognise that mental health challenges may be caused by a variety of factors beyond just social media (although it may be a big one)
• Every individual has unique circumstances and challenges – there is no single “valid” cause for distress
• Social stigma and high costs remain real barriers to help
• Change requires efforts from all of society

For the complete issue, sign up for the full version here. What do you think about today’s newsletter? Let us know at thrivebt@sph.com.sg.