The mental health of young people in Singapore is a growing concern. EMCC launches #YourLoveBringsHope appeal to raise funds to Support our Youth. EMCC goes on Fresh Off The Pod to answer questions from the podcast hosts and listeners.
Youth mental health
Numerous surveys and studies show that the mental health of young people in Singapore has been a growing concern over the last few years. The pandemic has made the situation worse.
In 2020, suicide charity SOS reported that suicide is the leading cause of death among those aged 10 – 29 in Singapore.
In a 2021 TODAY survey of 1,066 respondents aged between 18 – 35, “stressed out” (41%) and “anxious” (37%) were the top two mental states they chose for a question about their experience in the recent 3 months.
Apart from the perennial issue of stress from schoolwork and exams, the proliferation of social media has added issues like cyber-bullying, digital addiction and FOMO (the fear of missing out).
Photos and videos on social media are extensively edited to project impressions of a perfect life and produce unrealistic expectations. While some may realise these are unreal images, many still feel the need to keep up, leading to constant anxiety and stress. Yet they feel unable to unhook themselves for fear of missing out and not being perceived as being in the know about all the latest trends and talking points.
This relentless anxiety leaves them unable to relax and sleep well. Some become sleep-deprived, leaving them with even less physical, emotional and mental resources to cope with the daily stresses of their work and social lives, resulting in more stress and a downward spiral.
We are seeing many young adults in the workforce feeling overwhelmed. With overly ambitious goals such as achieving financial security and retiring from the work force by age 40 or gaining fame and celebrity by 30 (measured by the number of social media followers), many see themselves as failures when they miss these milestones.
Counselling can help our youth to better manage their mental wellbeing by helping them to develop coping strategies and explore personal resources to overcome challenges.
#YourLoveBringsHope: Support our Youth
EMCC is launching the Love & Hope appeal to raise funds to Support our Youth. Donations will be used to subsidise counselling sessions for students and young working adults, as well as to raise awareness of youth mental health through talks and workshops.
Every donation to this appeal will be matched dollar for dollar by the Tote Board and EMCC will receive double the amount of each donation. If you can, please donate to support our youth here.
Fresh off the Pod!
Shane Soh and Elizabeth Lee are two young adults who recently graduated and entered the workforce. Together they host a podcast for young people called Fresh off the Pod! This month, EMCC counsellor Dawn Tan joined the bubbly duo in their studio at *SCAPE to answer their listeners’ questions. The conversation covered challenges faced by youth today, the pitfalls of social media, tips on coping with anxiety, dating advice and many more exciting topics! Listen to the podcast here.
