2 in 5 singles say their mental health is worse in 2021, with many feeling lonely, stressed or stuck: Survey

• A survey of 500 singles in Singapore explored issues of mental health, among other concerns
• Forty per cent of respondents said their mental health had worsened, with older or female singles more likely to feel so
• Among singles who felt their mental health had worsened, two-thirds felt lonely, with more than half feeling stressed or stuck
• More women than men said they would not date someone who did not want to be fully vaccinated

SINGAPORE — Two in five singles in Singapore say their mental health has worsened this year, a survey has found. And of those, two thirds say they are lonely and more than half feel stressed or stuck.

Conducted by matchmaking firm Lunch Actually, the survey also found that older singles are twice as likely to feel that their mental health is worse compared to younger singles, with women feeling worse compared to men. “Covid-19 fatigue” was one factor cited in the survey.

Nearly three in five singles, or 59 per cent, agreed with the statement: “I don't think there are any good men/women who can love and understand me.”

The annual survey, published on Wednesday (Nov 10), was conducted among 500 singles in Singapore with the aim of providing an insight into their dating goals and journey, as well as their mental health this year.

Responses were solicited from about the same number of men and women over two weeks between October and November this year through email and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

MENTAL HEALTH WORSE FOR SINGLES THIS YEAR

For the first time since its first iteration in 2009, the survey included questions on singles’ mental health and happiness.

Overall, 40 per cent of respondents said that their mental health had worsened this year compared to last year.

More women (46 per cent) said they felt worse compared to men (34 per cent).

Forty-nine per cent of older, single respondents aged between 35 and 44 years old also said they felt worse this year.

This was nearly double the proportion of single respondents aged between 35 and 44 years old (27 per cent) who felt the same.

The top three reasons given by respondents for their worsening mental health were:

• The inability to go out freely due to Covid-19 restrictions
• Feeling isolated
• Covid-19 fatigue from negative news and social restrictions

When asked to describe how they felt this year, singles for whom mental health had worsened said that they were lonely (66 per cent), stressed (62 per cent) and stuck (54 per cent).

Lunch Actually said that singles’ views of dating had also been affected as a result of their worsened mental health.

Close to 60 per cent of respondents felt that they could not find a partner who could love or understand them.

Slightly less than half, or 45 per cent, said that they did not feel confident.

About 40 per cent of respondents said that they did not feel like going on dates, while about 20 per cent said that they “gave up on dating”.

DATING PREFERENCES DURING PANDEMIC

More singles, or 95 per cent, indicated this year that they wanted to be in a committed relationship. This figure was up from 85 per cent last year.

However, about half of the respondents said that they had not gone on any physical date, while three-quarters had not been on a virtual date this year.

Close to 30 per cent of respondents said that safety concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult for them to get closer to their dates.

When asked if they would date someone who chose not to be fully vaccinated, more women (55 per cent) than men (40 per cent) said that they would not.

The height of their partners continued to be an important consideration for women, with 82 per cent of female respondents indicating that they would not date a shorter man. This was two percentage points more than last year’s survey results.

There was no change in men’s preferences from last year, with 66 per cent indicating that they would date a woman taller than them.

While 70 per cent of women said they would go out with a younger man, only 56 per cent of men said that they would go out with an older woman.

On who should make the first move, more than three-fifths of female respondents said that men should do so, while only one-fifth of male respondents felt the same.