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S'pore 'redoubling efforts' to better understand mental health issues youths face, says DPM Wong

SINGAPORE — Singapore is seeing a surge in mental health issues among the young, and the Government is taking the matter "very seriously” and "redoubling efforts" to understand this phenomenon, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking in Parliament on Feb 7, 2024.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking in Parliament on Feb 7, 2024.

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  • Singapore is seeing a rise in mental health issues among the youth, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said
  • To address this, it is working with researchers worldwide to better understand the root causes and tackle them
  • Mr Wong also called for a change in mindset regarding success
  • He urged Singaporeans to avoid being caught in a "rat race" and to prioritise mental well-being

SINGAPORE — Singapore is seeing a surge in mental health issues among the young, and the Government is taking the matter "very seriously” and "redoubling efforts" to understand this phenomenon, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said.

To better tackle the root causes of poorer mental health among the youth, Singapore is working with researchers around the world to study the causes of this "worrying trend", he added.

Rising as the first political office holder to speak on Wednesday (Feb 7) in response to a parliamentary motion on advancing mental health, he noted that this trend of poorer mental health is also seen in other countries and researchers believe that this is tied to two factors.

The first is heavy social media usage, which is linked to:

  • The constant pressure to present a positive image online
  • The fear of missing out
  • Algorithms that flood news feeds with stories that are designed to spark outrage
  • Cases of cyberbullying

Furthermore, with more time spent online, people are likely to end up being sleep-deprived, doing less physical exercise and having fewer real-life interactions, all of which, he said, are important for healthy brain development.

The second factor relates to what happens offline in real life. 

Mr Wong said: “Other researchers think that it’s not just about more online safeguards, and that we also need to loosen up in the real world and give our children more space for free play and autonomy.

“Because when children have less room to play and explore, or to interact and build social skills at an early age, they are also less likely to grow up with a sense of independence and confidence to take charge of their own lives.”

Mr Wong stressed that more work needs to be done to better understand what has changed in recent years with regard to young people's mental health. 

“It’s an area that requires further research and study — to identify the key causal factors, and the interplay between these factors, so that we can design and put in place the appropriate interventions to help our youths.” 

He also said that although teenage angst has always been part of the growing up process, this has changed around the world starting in the early 2010s, with young people today expressing more concerns about their mental health than previous cohorts. 

More countries have reported increases in suicidal ideation, as well as mental health conditions such as anxiety, and depression among the young. 

And last year, the United States Surgeon General called the increasing mental health needs of American youth the "defining public health crisis of our time". 

Mr Wong said: “Even the Nordic countries, consistently ranking high in global happiness and well-being surveys, are seeing rises in youth anxiety, depression and a variety of mental illnesses.” 

However, Mr Wong noted that the phenomenon seen here is not at the same high levels as in some countries, where mental health conditions are conflated with other problems such as drug abuse, homelessness and street violence. 

“But it is nevertheless a worrying trend, and we are taking this very seriously,” he added.

“In our strategy, we are redoubling our efforts to better understand the issues that young people face.” 

CHANGE IN MINDSET REQUIRED

Mr Wong told the House that the Government would make "significant moves" to improve Singaporeans' mental health and well-being, as he called for a more inclusive "Singapore Dream" and a mindset change on what constitutes success.

He announced a raft of measures, including:

  • Increasing capacity at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the redeveloped Alexandra Hospital
  • Ramping up the number of public sector psychiatrists by 30 per cent and psychologists by 40 per centre
  • Training 28,000 more frontline personnel
  • Introducing mental health services at all polyclinics and 900 more general practitioner clinics

However, he said that these plans would not work without a change in attitudes and mindsets, underscoring the need to de-stigmatise mental health conditions so that people can seek help without being exposed to discrimination or “unhelpful labels”. 

On redefining success, Mr Wong acknowledged the merits of having a culture that values hard work and excellence, but said that Singapore may end up worse off as a society if people are stuck in a rat race just to get ahead of others. 

“I call on all Singaporeans who are passionate about this issue to join us in this national movement. We have lots to do and a full agenda ahead of us. 

“The Government has set out clear plans and deliverables, but the issues are complex and we do not have all the answers.

"We want everyone on board, so we can learn together and continue to fine-tune our strategies based on your feedback and ideas, and our shared experiences and insights.” 

Related topics

Lawrence Wong mental health Youth

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