Mental Health Struggles of Youth: What’s Going On?

Ask a Therapist Coping
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Hey everyone!

I just came across a survey by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) - see article here: Youth Mental Health (Singapore), and it’s honestly pretty alarming. Nearly a third of young people in Singapore (ages 15 to 35) are dealing with some serious mental health issues—things like depression, anxiety, and stress. A lot of them reported feeling empty, tense, or upset most of the time.

As someone who’s really passionate about mental health, this hits hard. It’s making me wonder—what’s going on with our generation? Are we dealing with more pressure than before? And are we getting the support we need?

Let’s talk about it:

  1. Why do you think so many young people are struggling with mental health right now?
  2. What can we do—whether in schools, at work, or in our communities—to make things better for those who are struggling?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

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  1. I think the digital era and the propagating and awareness of Psychology as a science in today’s age helps alot. If you look back in the history of psychological disorders, many of such like schizophrenia or depression was viewed as ‘demonic posession’ or other religious heresy. In the past many people might have mental disorders but may be less inclined to report on it too. After all, lobotomy (jamming a nail in the head to basically turn you into a living unfeeling zombie) was considered the ‘gold standard’ treatment for depression in the past before lol.

  2. Awareness and less stigma with regards to mental disorders would definitely help. Many older adults are refusing to seek help for counselling or clinical psychologists because they view it as ‘only for siao lang’. They may be afraid to report for fear they risk their careers and reputation too. Good news is the younger generations definitely don’t view the same way, especially with how ‘pop psychology’ is so viral on today’s social media platforms like tiktok. Keeping an open mind and creating an accepting community would definitely ease those struggling to share on what they’re experiencing. IMO, psychological first aid should be viewed as essential as physical first aid in today’s age. Would take time, but thankfully it’s slowly progressing with even MOH and MOE placing more budget and concern to mental health.

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Hi @terravolt43 !

You’ve raised such important points about how the perception of mental health has evolved over time. It’s heartbreaking to think about the inhumane treatments people with mental health issues faced in the past, and yet it’s encouraging to see how much progress has been made, especially with younger generations being more open to therapy :slight_smile: The stigma around seeking help is still a big barrier, especially for older adults, and it’s clear that fear of judgment plays a huge role. I completely agree with you—psychological first aid should be just as prioritized as physical first aid.

What do you think are some practical ways we can continue to reduce stigma and make mental health support more accessible for all generations?

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We need to continue having this debate, so thank you for bringing attention to the issues surrounding youth mental health. Your piece brought back memories of my nursing research on adolescent depression when I struggled to strike a balance between academic writing and patient interviews. The structure that nursing dissertation help provided allowed me to arrange my findings without compromising the human narratives that underlie the data. As your article highlights, whether it’s for students drowning in research or young people experiencing a crisis, we need both institutional change and individual help. “Sometimes just being heard is the first treatment,” I learned from a teenager I once coached. Continue to make these voices heard.

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