Mental health

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Peer support for parents, children can destigmatise seeking help for mental health: Chan Chun Sing​

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing called for parent support groups to help drive the conversation on mental health. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Wallace Woon


MAR 26, 2022

SINGAPORE - Stress now is a way of life, and having more open, supportive conversations about mental health can help remove the stigma of seeking help for children or parents who are struggling to cope, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.
Speaking to parents and school staff over videoconferencing platform Zoom on Saturday (March 26), the minister said: "I think we all understand that the demands of a fast-paced, fast-evolving, fast-changing world are tremendous on all of us. The demands have increased, the expectations have increased.
"It's actually not possible... and not realistic for us to expect that we will live in a no-stress environment."
He called for parent support groups (PSGs) to help drive the conversation on mental health by sharing their own experiences and offer support to fellow parents, in the same way that students can rely on a peer support system.
PSGs are groups of parent volunteers who wish to take a more active role in their children's education. Each school has its own dedicated support group.
Mr Chan was speaking during an engagement session with more than 700 leaders of PSGs and school representatives from primary and secondary schools as well as junior colleges.
The minister said that it was important not to think about mental health in binary terms.

"There is no such thing as, 'I'm absolutely not okay', 'I'm absolutely okay' - we are all just in between the two extreme states...
He urged the mindset: "If I'm not okay today, I can seek help. I can perhaps strengthen myself through various self-coping mechanisms that I have learnt, then tomorrow will be better."
Minister of State for Education, and for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, who also attended the session, reassured parents who might be concerned over whether their children would tarnish their record if they came forward to talk about mental health issues with a counsellor or psychiatrist.


"We will take the concerns of the student into consideration and see how we involve parents in the process."
At the session, the Ministry of Education (MOE) also launched a PSG guide compiling the experiences, tips and learning points from 25 PSGs, alongside a list of experts that parent volunteers can call depending on their needs.
She added that the Health Promotion Board's ongoing mental health campaign, It's Okay To Reach Out, seeks to assure all segments of the population that there are help channels available.
"What is important is that you reach out and there are appropriate channels to seek help on," Ms Sun said.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and Minister of State for Education, and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling speaking to parents and school staff over Zoom. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Mr Chan said: "The question is: How do we navigate this more stressful environment, both for our children and our parents... so that we can all grow together?
"I would just take a step aside and remind ourselves to think about and reflect: What does it mean for us to define success for our children, and perhaps even for ourselves?"
Mr Chan added that parents could help students understand and realise their potential, inculcate a lifelong attitude to keep surpassing themselves as well as for students to be globally connected, relevant and ready.
This view was echoed by Mr Lee Hoi Leong, a parent and PSG leader at Blangah Rise Primary who said that he was in favour of MOE's recent decision to remove mid-year examinations as well as promoting lifelong learning in schools.

Ms Priyata Nandi, a PSG leader at Bedok Green Primary, raised the question of how parent groups could help convince parents to speak to school counsellors in order to seek help.
She cited feedback from some parents on how they were more comfortable seeking help at private institutions rather than counsellors based in schools, as they were not sure that their data would be kept protected in the school setting.
Mr Chan responded that MOE does not keep any sensitive data about a student's medical or mental health.
He said: "If they (parents and students) really need to seek professional help, then I think the professionals and the clinicians will have a code of conduct as to how they manage the data so that it preserves the privacy of the individual without stigmatising them."

 

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Millennial Mind​

Coming face to face with online abuse​

Malavika Menon

A study by The Economist found that globally, 38 per cent of women had experienced online violence. ST PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KELVIN CHNG

MAR 20, 2022


SINGAPORE - "I should have been more careful."
These were my first thoughts earlier this month when I came across a chat thread online where my information was revealed and discussed.
Surfing the Internet one morning, I saw a website where my name was mentioned. Confusion turned to horror when I realised my pictures and details had been put on a chat thread, with users posting racist and sexual remarks about me.
Tracing my name from published stories, users accessed information from my LinkedIn profile and the social media accounts of student societies I had been a part of while I was in university.
If I had hidden my online presence and untagged myself from the student activities, which I had been proud to be a part of, could I have prevented this?
Despite trying to get on with my life, the lewd remarks played on a loop in my mind. I did not want to leave the house or meet family and friends. Once, on the bus, I dissolved into tears for no apparent reason.
All this, I later realised, were common symptoms that victims of cyber harassment, doxxing and technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) face as they try to come to terms with their experience.

Doxxing is the unsolicited sharing of someone's information and photos online, while TFSV can take many forms, from unsolicited pictures on online dating platforms to direct messages on social media sites.
Online abuse is on the rise in Singapore.
Gender-equality group Aware's Sexual Assault Care Centre saw 191 TFSV cases in 2020 - a 36 per cent increase over the 140 cases in 2019 and the highest number since tracking began in 2016.


A study by The Economist based on data collected between 2019 and 2020 found that globally, 38 per cent of women had experienced online violence.
In March last year, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Sim Ann shared that she had come across cases of victims who experienced online harm.
She said: "We have to ask ourselves, do our women and girls enjoy the same degree of freedom and confidence in the online space as they do in real life in Singapore."
Laws in Singapore have progressed over the last few years to protect victims of online abuse.
Amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act in 2019 offer better protection to victims by making doxxing a criminal offence.
Threatening, abusive or insulting acts - in person or online - that are likely to cause a victim to feel harassed, alarmed or distressed can also constitute an offence.

A new court dedicated to dealing with harassment cases, such as those involving doxxing and threatening behaviour, was set up last year.
Four men were arrested by the police, with one of them sentenced to jail in December last year, after being linked to a Telegram group that shared sexual videos and images of women.
In May last year, an administrator of the notorious SG Nasi Lemak Telegram chat group was found with more than 11,000 obscene photos and videos on his devices. He was jailed for nine weeks and fined $26,000.
The chat circulated explicit pictures and videos of women in Singapore without their permission.

One of the first steps that victims should take is to file a police report so the perpetrators can possibly be identified and content taken down.
I filed a police report on the day I came across the chat thread, and shared screenshots of the posts with the duty officer while making the report. The investigating officer followed up with me the next day.
While the law is proactive in bringing perpetrators here to justice, more can be done to address online abuse.
Users from Singapore have repeatedly published illegal content on sites such as the Sammyboy Forum - and been jailed or fined for it. Surely steps can be taken to block these websites, which are sumps for such activities.
Community guidelines should be better enforced by social media platforms so that they can quickly identify and remove content that is abusive.

The online community also plays a big part in safeguarding virtual spaces. Friends, relatives and colleagues can help victims by flagging abusive content to site administrators so that it can be quickly taken down.
Digital literacy and cyber wellness are covered in schools, but there could also be mandatory modules in schools as well as institutes of higher learning that go beyond these to discuss the different forms of online abuse and raise awareness of the various avenues that students can seek help from.
Workplaces and educational institutions should also have open channels of communication for victims of online abuse to come forward and seek help, particularly if the perpetrator is their peer.
Parents can also play a part by tapping programmes such as those organised by non-profit agency Touch Cyber Wellness to learn how to broach the subject of cyber safety with their children.

The psychological impact of online abuse can range from insignificant to severe.
A 2020 brief by UN Women, the United Nations agency for gender equality, found that those who faced online abuse had higher levels of anxiety, stress disorders, depression, trauma, panic attacks, loss of self-esteem, and a sense of powerlessness in their ability to respond to the abuse. Women were also found to be restricting their online activity after such incidents, hindering their ability to work, study and access essential services digitally.
Online abuse can have a debilitating impact on victims, which is why it is important to seek help early and avoid minimising the incident.
Some of the resources available in Singapore include Aware's Sexual Assault Care Centre, which serves victims of tech-facilitated sexual violence, and the Help123 cyber wellness community support platform, an initiative by the National Council of Social Service that focuses on youth cyber wellness.
The platform helps youth, their family members and educators interact with trained counsellors through Web chat, phone or e-mail on their cyber concerns and get them connected with support services.

For me, support came in the form of friends and family whom I opened up to, who patiently reminded me that the remarks did not lessen my efforts and achievements or speak to my character in any way.
Even though I am more cautious when I engage in conversations online now, I am also confident that I can handle and overcome unsavoury encounters online.
The experience gave me a glimpse of how other victims, some who have faced severe and prolonged online abuse, must feel and how more needs to be done to address their concerns.
Whether online or offline, abuse of any kind has no place in our society.

 

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Mental health task force in S'pore working with social media platforms to mitigate cyber bullying​

The task force will look at developing practical solutions to mitigate online risks. PHOTO: AFP

Shermaine Ang

PUBLISHED

MAR 19, 2022

SINGAPORE - With the youth spending much of their time on social media like Twitter and Instagram, and messaging platforms like WhatsApp, an inter-agency task force on mental health is working with technology platforms on ways to promote positive practices online.
Speaking at the launch of a citizens' panel on youth mental health on Saturday morning (March 19), Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling said the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being will also look at developing practical solutions to mitigate online risks, such as cyber bullying.
The task force, formed in July last year, is refining its recommendations and will be seeking the public's views in the coming months to develop a national strategy and action plan on mental health.
It is also looking at ways to make mental health services more accessible and reduce the stigma around seeking help, said Ms Sun, who is a member of the task force.
Set up by the ministries of Health and Social and Family Development, the task force oversees mental health efforts here, focusing on issues that require inter-agency collaboration.
The citizens' panel will hold seven online sessions and involve about 50 participants from Republic Polytechnic to think of ways to build greater mental resilience among the youth. They are organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and funded by charity foundation Ngee Ann Kongsi.
Ms Sun, who is also Minister of State for Education, told The Straits Times: "Students use social media to interact with one another and during the pandemic, more so than ever. It has become an important channel for them to stay connected with friends and organise themselves around causes they feel strongly about.

"But social media can also become a place where there are echo chambers, where hurtful and inappropriate comments are made, and there is a lack of interventions and moderation of such content."
Since the start of this year, upper secondary students island-wide have been taught a new character and citizenship education curriculum which tackles cyber wellness issues.
It hopes to instil in students the need to be respectful and considered in their online comments, to recognise cyber bullying, to be a source of support for one another and work with trusted adults when they come across hurtful incidents, said Ms Sun.
Besides the focus on creating a healthy online culture, the task force will also find ways to reduce the stigma around seeking help and make mental health services more coordinated and accessible, she said.
This may include ensuring support is channelled to where it is most needed, and bringing in more partners to the "ecosystem", she said.
"This may also mean more training for our mental health professionals, practitioners and also peers," she added.

On Saturday evening, a music festival also raised the issue of the stigma around opening up about mental health struggles, with singer-songwriters Yanni Ruth Chin, 22, and Erika Prakash, 23, speaking about their struggles with anxiety and depression.
The show, called Illuminate - Beauty In Imperfection, was organised by Project Green Ribbon, a non-profit mental health organisation. It was live-streamed on Project Green Ribbon’s social media channels.


Speaking at the event, Mr Eric Chua, Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development, said: “It is important that we have young people coming together to share their experiences with other youth so that this will resonate better with them, and help to collectively build a stronger peer support culture here in Singapore.”

 

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Anxious? You're not alone: More Singaporeans seek help for anxiety​

From April 2021 to last month, the SAMH saw an 80 per cent increase in people who required counselling for anxiety. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: SAMUEL ANG

Akshita Nanda
Correspondent

MAR 15, 2022

SINGAPORE - Feeling anxious? You are not alone. From April last year to last month, the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) saw an 80 per cent increase in people who required counselling for anxiety, compared with the same period the previous year.
Ms Voon Yen Sing, SAMH's senior assistant director, clinical services, says the people visiting the SAMH Insight Centre for counselling had become overwhelmed by anxiety and noticed changes to their eating or sleeping patterns. Some had trouble focusing or concentrating.
She adds that the clients might be worried about their jobs, families, financial situations or health, but were not necessarily diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
"Everyone feels anxious from time to time, but for someone experiencing anxiety disorder, the intensity and duration are much greater, to the extent that their daily life is affected," she says.

Anxiety's normal and can be useful​

Anxiety is a normal response to stress and can even be beneficial, say experts.
Dr Lau Boon Jia, consultant at the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) department of mood and anxiety, says anxiety may involve physical symptoms, such as feeling breathless, or psychological symptoms, such as feeling fear.
"While small amounts of anxiety may feel uncomfortable, it may help us cope with adversities better and improve performance in certain situations," he adds.

"However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming and affects one profoundly over a prolonged period of time, it will impair our ability to function. When that happens, we would classify this as an anxiety disorder."
Are Singaporeans becoming more anxious? Are more suffering from anxiety disorders nowadays? It is difficult to say. In 2016, the Singapore Mental Health Study noted a statistically significant increase here in the lifetime prevalence of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
The 2016 study showed that 1.6 per cent of the population had GAD, compared with 0.9 per cent recorded in a similar 2010 study.


Researchers of the 2016 study thought the increase could have stemmed from stressors such as social media use. More people were using social media in 2016, compared with in 2010.
However, researchers also thought the increase might have come from a better understanding of mental health issues and the symptoms of GAD - and mental health literacy might have led more people to seek help.

Greater awareness about mental health​

Mr Viaano Spruyt, a 25-year-old Singaporean dealing with anxiety, started an online community HuddleHumans to help. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Understanding of mental health may be "a bit better", says Mr Viaano Spruyt, 25, who found it difficult to get support for his anxiety when he was 17. He was turned away by a doctor here as he could not convince the healthcare professional that his symptoms were valid.
Mr Spruyt has a neurological condition, essential tremor, that leads to involuntary shaking, and the tremors in his hands were magnified in public situations. He would grind his teeth and his gait would become uncoordinated.
"Imagine being pushed away after you've got up the courage to go seek help," he says.
In response, while doing national service, he developed an online bulletin board for people to share their experiences and resources for managing their mental health. Some years later, the online bulletin board moved to chat channels on Discord and Telegram, and it is now called Huddlehumans. Mr Spruyt is seeking funding to develop apps and other products.
More resources seem to have been devoted to mental health since the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, The Straits Times reported last year that more companies were offering employees subscriptions to mental health apps.
In 2020, digital stress management platform mindline.sg was launched by the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, National Council of Social Service and IMH.

What about the effects of the pandemic?​

Yet, it is difficult to measure whether the pandemic has increased anxiety levels here.
A study was conducted to assess the well-being of Singaporeans last year by IMH, in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong. Researchers surveyed 1,058 Singaporeans and permanent residents from May 2020 to June last year and found that 9.4 per cent met the criteria for clinical anxiety. These results are not comparable with the 2016 mental health study's, however, as the research methodologies differ.
Experts are divided on the effect of Covid-19 on anxiety disorders, which are different from normal anxiety.
Dr Lau of IMH says: "In the past two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly affected everyone, and some more than others. More recently, the uncertainty of financial markets as well as political conflicts in different parts of the world could have a profound impact on mental health in general, and on anxiety disorders in particular."
But Dr Lim Boon Leng, a psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, says: "There are always new themes for anxiety and new stressors."
He adds: "However, the underlying issue of anxiety and cognitive error of magnifying the difficulties in one's life or of catastrophising remain very much the same."
He says anxiety is a normal response to stress, and once the stressor is removed, the feeling of anxiety goes away.
However, with GAD, the patient "must have excessive and difficult to control anxiety about several different events or activities". Removing the stressor does not always reduce the level of anxiety.

When does it become a disorder?​

Some may have found their anxiety growing into anxiety disorder.
Dr Lim recalls a 40-year-old patient who had managed anxiety since her 20s. She sought help only in the last six months, when she was given a new role at work and began to fear failing.
"She finally decided to seek help as she was unable to fall asleep every night and would toss and turn for two hours before falling asleep, and was getting irritable towards her children, often yelling at them over small transgressions," says Dr Lim.
She was also unable to focus or concentrate on work and would procrastinate, leading to further anxiety and procrastination. She was put on medication and her condition improved.
Treatments for GAD include medication and psychological interventions. Dr Lau of IMH says: "Cognitive behavioural therapy helps one learn to recognise and change thought patterns and behaviours that lead to anxiety."
Dr Lim adds that social support is also important. "Social interventions can include providing some rest from work in the form of medical leave or asking for a lower workload for the afflicted individual. Garnering support from the patient's family and loved ones can help improve things."
He notes that for many, anxiety is often manifested as poor sleep and physical ailments such as headaches and stomachaches, and much less as feelings of anxiety.

General practitioners as first line of defence​

DTAP Clinic's Dr Goh Lit Ching refers serious cases to specialists, but says mild and stable ones can be overseen by a GP. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
While there are hotlines and counselling centres for specific support, general practitioners might find themselves to be the first line of defence as anxiety manifests in physical symptoms.
Dr Goh Lit Ching of DTAP Clinic has seen patients with heart palpitations, increased sweating, headaches, tense muscles and dry mouth. Patients may also have disturbed sleep, irritability, loss of appetite and failure to concentrate.
She refers more serious cases to specialists, but says mild and stable cases can be overseen by a GP.
To manage anxiety, she recommends staying active, avoiding the use of alcohol or similar substances, and seeking help early.
"Help is always available and early intervention can lead to a better prognosis," she says.

Anxiety v anxiety disorder​

Experts say anxiety is a normal response to stress and may even be helpful in pushing us to improve performance or surmount adversity.
Dr Lim Boon Leng, a psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, notes: "However, when anxiety becomes uncontrollable or excessive to the point where it affects our quality of life, an anxiety disorder may have been triggered."
Anxiety and anxiety disorders lie on a spectrum. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a psychiatric medical condition in which patients have excessive worry plus at least three of these six symptoms - restlessness, insomnia, muscle tension, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating or having the mind go blank.
Dr Lim says risk factors for GAD include a family history of anxiety and recent or prolonged exposure to stressful situations, including personal or family illnesses and work stress. Childhood abuse or bullying, or medical conditions such as thyroid disorders, may also increase the risk of developing GAD. Excessive use of caffeine or tobacco can make existing anxiety worse, Dr Lim adds.

Managing anxiety​

Treatment for GAD includes medication as well as psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness therapy to replace or reframe anxious thoughts.
Ordinary anxiety can also be managed by reducing stress through taking time off, engaging in exercise and hobbies, and getting enough rest.
Dr Lim says: "Cognitively, it is important to moderate our excessive high expectations and need for control. We often quote the serenity prayer: 'To accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things
I can, and wisdom to know the difference.'"

Supporting people with anxiety​

Ms Voon Yen Sing, senior assistant director, clinical services, at the Singapore Association for Mental Health, says it is important to not belittle the experiences of a person with anxiety, even if his or her behaviour and concerns do not make sense to you.
If one has noticed behavioural changes, one could start a conversation about these changes - in a calm, warm and positive way - and then ask if the person needs help coping with anxiety.
Other ways to help are to encourage the person to engage in self-care habits, such as practising deep breathing regularly, adds Ms Voon.

 

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Don't let anxiety hurt your heart: Doctors see more people with heart palpitations​

Doctors tell ST that they have seen more people with heart palpitations and ectopic heartbeats in the past two years. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

Amrita Kaur


MAR 15, 2022

SINGAPORE - After Mr Chua W.S. lost his job as an assistant marketing manager two years ago, he could hardly sleep.
The 36-year-old bachelor was worried about the loss of income and whether he would soon get another job to support his parents, who are in their 60s.
"I was so anxious about the future that I would feel my heart beating very fast when I was alone. Sometimes, when it was very quiet, it almost felt like I could hear my heartbeat in my ears," he says.
Doctors tell The Straits Times that they have seen more people with heart palpitations and ectopic heartbeats in the past two years, as a result of stress and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Reginald Liew, a senior consultant cardiologist with Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, saw a 20 per cent increase in such patients last year, compared with the two years before that.

Like the heart skipping a beat​

Heart palpitations are when one's heartbeat suddenly becomes more noticeable. It can feel like the heart is skipping beats, fluttering rapidly, pounding too fast or flip-flopping.
An ectopic heartbeat is a missed or extra heartbeat. Mostly seen in adults, it can feel similar to palpitations.

Ectopic heartbeats and palpitations are usually caused by stress, anxiety, panic attacks and strenuous exercise, as well as smoking and consuming alcohol, drugs and caffeine.
Many of Dr Liew's patients say they are more stressed at work or from working at home, or have faced challenges such as job loss. Some noticed heartbeat irregularities after taking the Covid-19 vaccine or contracting Covid-19.
Assistant Professor Seow Swee Chong, director and senior consultant at the department of cardiology at the National University Heart Centre, Singapore, saw a 10 to 20 per cent rise in patients who reported heart palpitations last year, compared with 2020.

Worries about health​

Apart from stress and anxiety, he says palpitations can occur more frequently when a person is sick or worried about his health.
"They tend to notice and sometimes magnify minor symptoms they think they have," he adds.
For instance, a person with insomnia may get worried and seek medical help after noticing that he can feel or hear his heart beating while lying awake in bed.
Heart palpitations that are infrequent or last only a few seconds do not usually need to be evaluated.
However, Dr Liew says it is important to differentiate between palpitations caused by stress from those which may be associated with an underlying heart condition.
This can be done with an electrocardiogram test. It is a painless way to record the electrical signals in the heart to identify heart disease - if a person has a heart attack or arrhythmia, the heart beats too quickly or slowly.
Ectopic heartbeats, doctors say, are very common and usually harmless. They are of concern only if they occur very frequently - over more than 20 per cent of all beats - in which case they may be a sign of deteriorating heart function, notes Prof Seow.
They may cause discomfort or distress in some people. In such cases, they can take medication or undergo ablation, a medical procedure in which heat or cold energy is used to create small scars in the heart muscle to eliminate abnormal areas that cause rhythm disorders.

Link to Covid-19 vaccination​

Besides stress and anxiety, heart palpitations could also be linked to the Covid-19 vaccination.
Explaining this, Prof Seow says a vaccine serves to stimulate the immune response and, in the process, causes upheaval in the body, including fever, inflammation and body ache. The body then responds with the heart beating faster and harder, which may be interpreted as "palpitations".
The frequency of ectopic heartbeats can also increase in such a heightened state, when the body is in "fight" mode with increased adrenaline in the system, he adds.
Studies have shown a link between heart inflammation conditions, myocarditis and pericarditis, and mRNA jabs. These conditions have symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain and breathlessness.

Panic attacks and the pandemic​

Dr Leong Choon Kit, a family physician at Mission Medical Clinic, sees panic attacks caused by anxiety quite frequently in his practice.
In the past, they were a result of work or exam stress, but since the pandemic, many cases arise from worries about catching Covid-19 or the complications of long Covid-19, he says.
Some are afraid of the side effects of mRNA vaccines, he adds.
"The majority of those I have seen were mainly reading myths on social media and hearing fake news from their friends. Most of them feel better after a long consultation about the vaccine and the way our immune system works," says Dr Leong.
Patients do not usually require treatment for heart palpitations or ectopic heartbeats as these can be controlled with lifestyle practices, he adds.
These include taking deep breaths when stressed, keeping a balanced diet, as well as not smoking or consuming caffeine and alcohol.
Regular exercise is also beneficial for the heart. But Dr Liew warns that strenuous activity can cause serious heart palpitations.
"If you find yourself gasping for air or clutching your chest while working out, dial down the intensity or avoid that exercise altogether," he says.

Tips to manage stress​

While stress can have negative effects on the heart, it is impossible to avoid completely.
Dr Reginald Liew, a senior consultant cardiologist with Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, shares six ways to manage stress.

1. Practise relaxation techniques​

Taking some time to relax helps to protect your heart from the effects of stress.
Try a mix of techniques including meditation, progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing to find out which works for you.

2. Reduce stress triggers​

There are certain aspects of our lives that almost always trigger a stress response, such as work demands, personal or professional relationships, or family responsibilities.
If you cannot avoid your triggers, try taking time for yourself and pacing yourself, saying no or asking for help when needed.

3. Address anxiety​

Palpitations and ectopic heartbeats can stem from fear and panic attacks. If you are constantly worried, uneasy and unable to manage your triggers, talk to a mental health professional.

4. Exercise regularly​

Working out is an excellent stress reliever because it releases endorphins, which help maintain a positive attitude.
Try fun or relaxing exercises like yoga, taiji or dancing, but remember not to go overboard, as strenuous activity can trigger heart palpitations and ectopic heartbeats.

5. Avoid smoking​

Smoking works against you as it places stress on the heart, raises blood pressure and hinders normal blood flow and breathing.

6. Drink alcohol responsibly​

Some people use alcohol as a stress reliever. But it is important to remember that consuming alcohol promotes palpitations, ectopic heartbeats and arrhythmia.

 

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Sowing the seeds of health: How gardening can boost your physical and mental health​

Gardening and other nature-based activities are part of the care regime in many healthcare institutions and hospitals around Singapore. PHOTO: PEXELS

Akshita Nanda
Correspondent

MAR 8, 2022

SINGAPORE - Madam Jessie Lo is 99 and looking forward to the brinjal harvest from the shared garden of the nursing home where she lives.
"As long as I can use my hands and dig and replant, I'll be happy," says the resident of Allium Care Suites in Venus Drive, where gardening is a weekly activity.
Gardening and other nature-based activities are part of the care regime in many healthcare institutions and hospitals around Singapore. These activities implemented by therapists are known as therapeutic horticulture and range from growing or caring for plants to pressing flowers or making scent bags from aromatic herbs.
Therapeutic horticulture can help people manage mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and addiction, say experts The Straits Times spoke to. It is also beneficial to people with dementia.
Therapeutic horticulture activities are offered regularly at eight therapeutic gardens in parks here. There are now nine therapeutic gardens and the National Parks Board (NParks) aims to have 30 around Singapore by 2030. Last month, two therapeutic gardens were opened at Pasir Ris Park and Bedok Reservoir Park. The first therapeutic garden in Singapore was opened at HortPark in 2016.
Simply viewing a purpose-built therapeutic garden (see sidebar) can improve mood and supplement treatment for depression, according to a Singapore-based study conducted by NParks and the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. It will be published in the Frontiers In Psychiatry journal, but results were released to media last month.
In the study, people who were being treated for clinical depression and a group who were not under treatment spent time viewing a busy urban scene, an urban green space and a therapeutic garden. Changes in brain activity and mood were recorded. All participants had improved moods after exposure to the therapeutic garden, even when compared with their response to the urban green space.

Gardening and occupational therapy​

Studies show that gardening has physical and psychological effects. Pruning, watering and planting exercise the muscles and relieve stress. Higher-order thinking skills are used when choosing what seeds to plant, monitoring plant growth, or harvesting the edible results. Scented flowers and leaves also offer sensory stimulation.
Gardening may thus be used as an occupational therapy tool to help people improve their function and better perform activities of daily living, say therapists.
At Allium Care Suites, where Madam Lo resides, senior occupational therapist Trevor Jow, 34, gets his clients to decide what they want to grow in rooftop planters and helps them care for the plants. Residents have grown tomatoes, spinach, beans, brinjal and corn and harvested these for meals.


Mr Jow says: "As therapists, we use gardening as an effective activity to improve cognitive functions. For example, if we're growing tomato plants, this could involve a trip to the shop to purchase seeds and fertiliser. The client enjoys a day out and is involved in the entire process of gardening, harvesting, and food preparation. Gardening encourages planning and executing skills with the underlying benefit of cognitive stimulation within a leisure activity."
He adds: "The additional benefit is the physical aspect of using our hands and feet to carry tools and pots. This strengthens patients' upper and lower limb function."

Gardening and dementia​

Madam Lily Au, 85, has dementia and uses the day care services at Allium Care Suites. She can name most of the plants in the shared garden as well as the aromatic and ornamental plants surrounding them. "I love gardening and flowers," she says.

Madam Lily Au can name most of the plants in the shared garden as well as the aromatic and ornamental plants surrounding them. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
The aromatic herbs such as lemongrass trigger memories of her mother's cooking. "I'm a vegetable lover," she adds.
Adjunct Associate Professor Lim Si Ching, a senior consultant at Changi General Hospital's (CGH) Department of Geriatric Medicine, says sensory gardens are often used as treatment for people with dementia in a long-term care setting.
Dementia is a condition that causes intellectual facilities to deteriorate, with symptoms including memory loss and mental decline. Despite cognitive decline, a person's sense of scent, touch, sight, sound and even taste remain and can be stimulated using a sensory garden.
Flowers and herbs are conversation starters - this provides cognitive stimulation and leads to social interaction. There is also satisfaction in completing tasks, adds Prof Lim. "The simple act of watering the plants helps to make patients with dementia feel accomplished and happy."
CGH has two sensory gardens, one in the dementia ward and another in the Integrated Building, which houses the geriatric centre. The hospital's care team designs garden-related activities for patients in the dementia ward and the other sensory garden offers "respite to persons with dementia and their caregivers when at CGH for their appointments", says Prof Lim.
At Apex Harmony Lodge, a dementia care home in Pasir Ris, residents took part in therapeutic horticulture activities at national parks in the past, but the pandemic has curtailed such field trips. Residents now plant, nurture and harvest edibles from the garden at the lodge and use these to cook dishes such as assam fish head curry. They collect orange peels after meals and compost these for organic fertiliser.
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Gardening activities are conducted daily or once every two days, says Mr Joel Chew, Apex Harmony Lodge's assistant manager, corporate development and community engagement. Residents are supervised, but move around the garden freely, which contributes to a feeling of independence, he adds.
Mr Chew says: "They look forward to each session and are very proud of their produce. We hope that such activities will continue to uplift the spirits of our seniors and perhaps slow down the degenerative process of dementia. Their moods have also noticeably improved."

Gardening and mental health​

At We Care Community Services, an addiction recovery centre funded by charity, gardening is among the activities used to engage beneficiaries.
A spokesman says that gardening promotes exercise, which is known to help people manage their mental health. "Getting one's hands dirty in the soil and communing with nature is beneficial to psychological well-being," he adds.
Gardening can also help satisfy a need for independence and seeing the fruit of their labour adds to the sense of accomplishment.
At the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), indoor and outdoor gardening activities are organised by occupational therapists for patients.
Patients in wards learn to make terrariums. Outdoor activities include repotting plants, watering and pruning, and making compost.

At IMH, patients plant, water and prune edible plants at the NurtureVille Garden near the wards and eat the produce. PHOTO: INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
Gardening activities are also organised by case managers, who follow up on patients' care plans and serve as counsellor, friend and advocate. Patients have grown mint, rosemary, Indian borage, winged beans, chillies and ladies' fingers, which they harvest and share with other residents.
Ms Margaret Hendriks, senior principal case manager at IMH, says patients enjoy getting fresh air and seeing plants flourish under their care. "As a form of encouragement and training, patients receive a small sum of money for their harvests, which the case managers hope will motivate patients in their rehabilitation journey," she adds.
IMH also set up a hydroponics farm in 2017, with the help of corporate sponsors - first Maybank, then Temasek. Patients working at the farm learn to perform tasks such as seed-sowing, transplanting, harvesting, weighing and packing vegetables, and selling the produce.
Mr Aziz Ab Hamed, senior nurse clinician at IMH, says: "Hydroponic gardening boosts the patients' confidence and self-esteem through learning new knowledge and skills. Best of all, our clients are paid for the work they do."

IMH set up a hydroponics farm in 2017, with the help of corporate sponsors. PHOTO: IMH

Gardening and mental resilience​

A study conducted by researchers from NParks and the National University Health System's Mind Science Centre found that people who spent time gardening in Singapore during the pandemic reported higher levels of mental resilience compared with those who did not.
The study was published this year in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening and found that regardless of age and housing type, gardening for an hour or more per week correlated with higher mental resilience.
Sustainability advocate and children's author Ashleigh Nghiem says gardening helped her through the circuit breaker period in 2020. An Australian-British citizen who has worked in Singapore for over a decade, she started growing plants in her balcony because she worried that supply chain disruptions might limit supplies of her favourite vegetables such as kale.

Ms Ashleigh Nghiem started a home garden during the 2020 circuit breaker. PHOTO: ASHLEIGH NGHIEM
She has since learnt to make her own hydroponic planters using old milk bottles and now uses hydroponic planters and ordinary pots to grow her own strawberries, mulberries, papaya, yuzu lime, chillis, kale and shallots, among other edibles.
Gardening also helped her build social connections with other gardeners or those interested in gardening. She now exchanges plant cuttings with other gardeners and teaches children and adults how to garden at home under her YouGreenMe brand. She also included home gardening instructions in a self-published illustrated children's book, You, Me And Green: Lily's Magical Garden (2021).
"At the height of the pandemic, everyone wanted to know about gardening," says Ms Nghiem, 51. "It was a way of doing something fun in your own home and also feeding yourself something healthy."
She adds that gardening has also helped her cope with being separated from her immediate family - her brother is in Australia and father is in the United States. "When I smell a flower, or plant, that I haven't seen since I lived in Australia, it evokes all these memories and emotions. That's the thing about gardening, there are beautiful things that I don't have to go anywhere to enjoy. They are in my home."

Therapeutic horticulture​

Therapeutic horticulture helps people improve their well-being through actively or passively participating in nature-related activities. These include gardening, growing edible sprouts, making scent bags or leaf collages.
The National Parks Board (NParks) has organised therapeutic horticulture activities at its therapeutic gardens since the first was opened at HortPark in 2016, says Ms Sophianne Araib, group director of horticulture and community gardening at NParks. "These programmes were popular among patients from community care organisations and slots for these sessions were mostly taken up," she says.
NParks has also set up 32 "external nodes" for carrying out therapeutic horticulture, including at community care organisations and grassroots organisations.

Therapeutic gardens​

Research has shown that passive exposure to therapeutic gardens can benefit mental well-being.
The NParks spokesperson says that therapeutic gardens are designed to cater to diverse needs including those of people with dementia or people recovering from a stroke, or those with mental health issues.
Design principles include having a clear, well-connected layout to help people navigate with ease as well as plants and landscape that stimulate sensory engagement. Some planters may be raised for the convenience of people using wheelchairs.

Therapeutic gardens are designed to cater to diverse needs including those of people with dementia or people recovering from a stroke, or those with mental health issues. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
She says therapeutic gardens here may have different planting zones "with a specific selection of plant species to evoke memories of the past and engage the senses".
"These include plants that are fragrant, edible or medicinal, coloured or textured, as well as those which attract birds and butterflies."

At-home gardening​

Mr Tham Xin Kai, co-founder of Hortherapeutics, is a landscape architect who designs therapeutic gardens for nursing homes and other health-related environments. He was involved in the design of therapeutic gardens at Tiong Bahru Park, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Choa Chu Kang Park.
He says that while therapeutic horticulture should be facilitated by professionals, people can still benefit from growing plants at home in pots. Some might want to apply for community gardens or allotments under NParks.
He suggests growing aromatic edibles such as common basil or Mexican mint for the scent and for cooking.
"A variety of houseplants with interesting leaf texture, patterns and colourful flowers can also be kept to add vibrancy at home. Even attempts to propagate plants from cuttings and seeds can also trigger a sense of curiosity and delight," he says.

 

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3 in 4 NUS students at risk of depression as a result of pandemic, measures imposed: NUHS study​

Researchers said an alarming 83.3 per cent also reported experiencing high levels of stress, while over half felt lonely. PHOTO: ST FILE

Ang Qing


MAR 8, 2022

SINGAPORE - About three in four National University of Singapore (NUS) students were at risk of depression as a result of the pandemic and restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, a study has found.
Researchers at the National University Health System's Mind Science Centre said an alarming 83.3 per cent also reported experiencing high levels of stress, while more than half felt lonely.
The study had examined the psychological impact of the pandemic and the two-month long restrictions imposed during the circuit breaker in 2020 on 390 university students and their families.
Students from families that could not adjust to change, did not compromise and could not work together to solve problems experienced more severe depressive symptoms, said Assistant Professor Wilson Tam, principal investigator of the study, which was published in November last year.
"Unlike young children, who usually benefit from spending more time with their family members, more time with family can be worse for young adults because of gaps in communication with seniors," he added.
During the circuit breaker, families clocked an average 12.7 hours together each day, up from 5.6 hours.
Prof Tam said families who were less flexible about family roles, rules and leadership were more prone to higher levels of conflict. This could increase the risk for depressive symptoms in individuals.

He noted that students who could communicate better across generations came from more flexible and cohesive families.
These young adults were able to cope better with the psychological impact of the circuit breaker.
While spending more time together amid the lockdown contributed to higher stress, the researchers noted that it also led to some families becoming more flexible.

It could be due to opportunities to facilitate changes in leadership, roles and rules in the family, they said in the study.
The students who participated in the online survey were on average about 21 years old and 115 were male. They were from different faculties.
Prof Tam said it was representative of the university's demographic, given that there are slightly more females in the university's student population.
About 92.1 per cent, or 359 students, lived with parents and/or grandparents during the circuit breaker while the rest were in the residential halls during the period.

Prof Tam said the impact of the partial lockdown is unique to Singapore as most university students here had to live with their parents during the circuit breaker. In contrast, young adults their age in many other countries could opt to stay in student halls or rental apartments.
The Mind Science Centre has since used these findings to launch two pilots aimed at improving communication between young people and seniors, he added.
Said Prof Tam: "Even during our pilots, the students have told us that they don't know how to communicate with the elderly because they don't know what to say or they think seniors are not interested in what they have to say.
"So we are helping them to take the first step to improve their communication skills."

 

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Covid-19 patients may have increased risk of developing mental health problems​

More than 18 per cent of the Covid-19 patients received a diagnosis of or prescription for a neuropsychiatric issue. PHOTO: REUTERS


FEB 17, 2022

NEW YORK (NYTIMES) - Social isolation, economic stress, loss of loved ones and other struggles during the pandemic have contributed to rising mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
But can having Covid-19 increase the risk of developing mental health problems? A large new study suggests it can.
The study, published on Wednesday (Feb 16) in the journal The BMJ, analysed records of nearly 154,000 Covid-19 patients in the Veterans Health Administration system and compared their experience in the year after they recovered from their initial infection with that of a similar group of people who did not contract the virus.
The study included only patients who had no mental health diagnoses or treatment for at least two years before becoming infected with the coronavirus, allowing researchers to focus on psychiatric diagnoses and treatment that occurred after coronavirus infection.
People who had Covid-19 were 39 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with depression and 35 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety over the months following infection than people without Covid-19 during the same period, the study found.
Covid-19 patients were 38 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with stress and adjustment disorders and 41 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with sleep disorders than uninfected people.
"There appears to be a clear excess of mental health diagnoses in the months after Covid-19," said Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the study. He said the results echoed the emerging picture from other research, including a 2021 study on which he was an author, and "it strengthens the case that there is something about Covid-19 that is leaving people at greater risk of common mental health conditions".

The data does not suggest that most Covid-19 patients will develop mental health symptoms. Only between 4.4 per cent and 5.6 per cent of those in the study received diagnoses of depression, anxiety or stress and adjustment disorders.
"It's not an epidemic of anxiety and depression, fortunately," Harrison said. "But it's not trivial."
Researchers also found that Covid-19 patients were 80 per cent more likely to develop cognitive problems like brain fog, confusion and forgetfulness than those who didn't have Covid-19. They were 34 per cent more likely to develop opioid use disorders, possibly from drugs prescribed for pain, and 20 per cent more likely to develop non-opioid substance use disorders including alcoholism, the study reported.

After having Covid-19, people were 55 per cent more likely to be taking prescribed antidepressants and 65 per cent more likely to be taking prescribed anti-anxiety medications than contemporaries without Covid-19, the study found.
Overall, more than 18 per cent of the Covid-19 patients received a diagnosis of or prescription for a neuropsychiatric issue in the following year, compared with less than 12 per cent of the non-Covid-19 group. Covid-19 patients were 60 per cent more likely to fall into those categories than people who didn't have Covid-19, the study found.
The study found that patients hospitalised for Covid-19 were more likely to be diagnosed with mental health issues than those with less serious coronavirus infections. But people with mild initial infections were still at greater risk than people without Covid-19.
"Some people always argue that 'Oh, well, maybe people are depressed because they needed to go to the hospital and they spent like a week in the ICU,'" said the senior author of the study, Dr Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis Health Care System and a clinical public health researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. "In people who weren't hospitalised for Covid-19, the risk was lower but certainly significant. And most people don't need to be hospitalised, so that is really the group that's representative of most people with Covid-19."

The team also compared mental health diagnoses for people hospitalised for Covid-19 with those hospitalised for any other reason. "Whether people were hospitalised for heart attacks or chemotherapy or whatever other conditions, the Covid-19 group exhibited a higher risk," Al-Aly said.
The study involved electronic medical records of 153,848 adults who tested positive for the coronavirus between March 1, 2020, and Jan 15, 2021, and survived for at least 30 days. Because it was early in the pandemic, very few were vaccinated before infection. The patients were followed until Nov 30, 2021.
Al-Aly said his team was planning to analyse whether subsequent vaccination modified people's mental health symptoms, as well as other post-Covid-19 medical issues the group has studied.
The Covid-19 patients were compared with more than 5.6 million patients in the Veterans system who did not test positive for the coronavirus and more than 5.8 million patients from before the pandemic, in the period spanning March 2018 through January 2019. To try to gauge the mental health effect of Covid-19 against that of another virus, the patients were also compared with about 72,000 patients who had the flu during the two and a half years before the pandemic. (Al-Aly said there were too few flu cases during the pandemic to provide a contemporaneous comparison.)
The researchers tried to minimise differences between groups by adjusting for many demographic characteristics, pre-Covid-19 health conditions, residence in nursing homes and other variables.
In the year after their infection, the Covid-19 patients had higher rates of mental health diagnoses than the other groups.
"It's not really surprising to me because we've been seeing this," said Dr Maura Boldrini, an associate professor of psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Centre. "It's striking to me how many times we've seen people with these new symptoms with no previous psychiatric history."
Most veterans in the study were men, three-quarters were white and their average age was 63, so the findings may not apply to all Americans. Still, the study included over 1.3 million women and 2.1 million Black patients, and Al-Aly said "we found evidence of increased risk regardless of age, race or gender".
There are several possible reasons for the increase in mental health diagnoses, Al-Aly and outside experts said. Boldrini said she believed the symptoms were most likely influenced by both biological factors and the psychological stresses associated with having an illness.
"In psychiatry, it almost always is an interplay," she said.

Research, including brain autopsies of patients who died of Covid-19, has found evidence that Covid-19 infection can generate inflammation or tiny blood clots in the brain, and can cause small and large strokes, said Boldrini, who has conducted some of these studies. In some people, the immune response that is activated to fight against a coronavirus infection may not shut down effectively once the infection is gone, which can fuel inflammation, she said.
"Inflammatory markers can disrupt the ability of the brain to function in many ways, including the ability of the brain to make serotonin, which is fundamental for mood and sleep," Boldrini said.
By themselves, such brain changes may or may not cause psychological problems. But, if someone is experiencing stress from having felt physically ill or because having Covid-19 disrupted their lives and routines, she said, "you may be more prone to not being able to cope because your brain is not functioning 100 per cent."
Harrison, who has conducted other studies with large electronic medical databases, noted that such analyses can miss more granular information about patients. He also said that some people in the comparison groups might have had Covid-19 and not been tested to confirm it, and that some Covid-19 patients might have been more likely to receive diagnoses because they were more worried about their health after Covid-19 or because doctors were quicker to identify psychological symptoms.
"There's no one analysis that tells you the whole story," Al-Aly said. "Maybe all of us or most of us experienced some sort of an emotional distress or mental health stress or some sleep problem," he added. "But people with Covid-19 did worse."

 

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New report warns of mounting feeling of helplessness in many societies​

This comes in the face of a growing number of crises and conflicts in the world. PHOTO: PEXELS

FEB 15, 2022,

BERLIN (XINHUA) - Participants in the forthcoming 58th edition of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) will discuss the findings of a 180-page report, titled Turning The Tide - Unlearning Helplessness, which warns of a mounting feeling of helplessness in many societies of the world in the face of a growing number of crises and conflicts.
The Munich Security Report, released on Monday (Feb 14), is published annually ahead of the MSC.
It sets the tone for the conference, which is often referred to as the "Davos of global security" and is to be hosted by Munich in Germany between Feb 18 and Feb 20.
The year 2021 was clearly not one for geopolitical optimism, according to the report.
"Almost every month, a new crisis dominated the news, contributing to a sense that this mounting tide of crises threatens to overwhelm us," it said.
It cited "the seemingly endless" pandemic, "the increasingly tangible" threat of climate change, "the vexing vulnerabilities" of an interconnected world and the increasing geopolitical tensions among those challenges that contribute to "a feeling of a loss of control".
The MSC, though not an official platform for formulating resolutions, provides an opportunity for face to face talks and discussions among different parties, said Dr Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the MSC, at a press conference launching the security report.

He said he believed that it was necessary for all parties concerned to meet and discuss the explosive Ukraine issue, and added that he expected the conference to send a cooling signal.
"War could still be avoided, if I am not being naive," he said.
Alongside Ukraine, this year's MSC is expected to also focus on the situation in Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East; the Covid-19 pandemic, the governments' climate change policies; technology supply chain security; and the future of the European Union, according to Dr Ischinger.
Due to the pandemic, last year's MSC was held online for the first time. The conference resumes with physical meetings this year, but the number of attendees has shrunk significantly.
According to the MSC's official website, 30 heads of state and government, 100 ministerial officials and heads of important international organistions are expected to attend the event, among them United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, United States Vice-President Kamala Harris, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The MSC was founded in 1963 by German publisher Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin under the name Wehrkundetagung (conference on defence issues).

 

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Anxiety over climate change prompts people to seek medical help​

Anxiety over pollution, natural disasters and other climate-related news has been having a powerful psychological effect on people. PHOTO: REUTERS

FEB 7, 2022

PORTLAND (NYTIMES) - It would hit Ms Alina Black in the snack aisle at Trader Joe's, a wave of guilt and shame that made her skin crawl.
Something as simple as nuts. They came wrapped in plastic, often in layers of it, that she imagined leaving her house and travelling to a landfill, where it would remain through her lifetime and the lifetime of her children.
She longed, really longed, to make less of a mark on the Earth.
But she had also had a baby in diapers, and a full-time job, and a five-year-old who wanted snacks. At the age of 37, these conflicting forces were slowly closing on her, like a set of jaws.
In the early morning hours, after nursing the baby, she would slip down a rabbit hole, scrolling through news reports of droughts, fires, mass extinction. Then she would stare into the dark.
It was for this reason that, around six months ago, she searched "climate anxiety" and pulled up the name of Dr Thomas J. Doherty, a Portland psychologist who specialises in climate.
A decade ago, Dr Doherty and a colleague, Dr Susan Clayton, a professor of psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio, published a paper proposing a new idea.

Scepticism over Dr Thomas J. Doherty's paper published 10 years ago is fading. PHOTO: NYTIMES
They argued that climate change would have a powerful psychological effect - not just on the people bearing the brunt of it, but on people following it through news and research. At the time, the notion was seen as speculative.
That scepticism is fading. Eco-anxiety, a concept introduced by young activists, has entered mainstream vocabulary. And professional organisations are hurrying to catch up, exploring approaches to treating anxiety that is both existential and, many would argue, rational.
Though there is little empirical data on effective treatments, the field is expanding swiftly.

The Climate Psychology Alliance provides an online directory of climate-aware therapists; the Good Grief Network, a peer support network modelled on 12-step addiction programmes, has spawned more than 50 groups; professional certification programmes in climate psychology have begun to appear.
As for Dr Doherty, so many people now come to him for this problem that he has built an entire practice around them: An 18-year-old student who sometimes experiences panic attacks so severe that she cannot get out of bed; a 69-year-old glacial geologist who is sometimes overwhelmed with sadness when he looks at his grandchildren; a man in his 50s who erupts in frustration over his friends' consumption choices, unable to tolerate their chatter about vacations in Tuscany, Italy.
The field's emergence has met resistance, for various reasons.

Therapists have long been trained to keep their own views out of their practices. And many leaders in mental health maintain that anxiety over climate change is no different, clinically, from anxiety caused by other societal threats, such as terrorism or school shootings.
Some climate activists, meanwhile, are leery of viewing anxiety over climate as dysfunctional thinking - to be soothed or, worse, cured.
But Ms Black was not interested in theoretical arguments; she needed help right away.
She was no Greta Thunberg type, but a busy, sleep-deprived working mum. Two years of wildfires and heatwaves in Portland had stirred up something sleeping inside her, a compulsion to prepare for disaster.

Ms Alina Black sought out a therapist to address her mounting panics over climate-related disasters. PHOTO: NYTIMES
She found herself up at night, pricing out water purification systems. For her birthday, she asked for a generator.
She understands how privileged she is; she describes her anxiety as a "luxury problem".
But still: The plastic toys in the bathtub made her anxious. The disposable diapers made her anxious. She began to ask herself, what is the relationship between the diapers and the wildfires?
"I feel like I have developed a phobia to my way of life," she said.
Last fall, Ms Black logged on for her first meeting with Dr Doherty, who sat, on video, in front of a large, glossy photograph of evergreens.
At 56, he is one of the most visible authorities on climate in psychotherapy, and he hosts a podcast, Climate Change And Happiness.
In his clinical practice, he reaches beyond standard treatments for anxiety, like cognitive behavioural therapy, to more obscure ones, like existential therapy, conceived to help people fight off despair, and ecotherapy, which explores the client's relationship with the natural world.
He did not take the usual route to psychology; after graduating from New York's Columbia University, he hitchhiked across the country to work on fishing boats in Alaska, then as a whitewater rafting guide - "the whole Jack London thing" - and as a Greenpeace fundraiser.
Entering graduate school in his 30s, he fell in naturally with the discipline of "ecopsychology".
At the time, ecopsychology was, as he put it, a "woo-woo area", with colleagues delving into shamanic rituals and Jungian deep ecology.

Dr Doherty had a more conventional focus, on the physiological effects of anxiety. But he had picked up on an idea that was, at that time, novel: That people could be affected by environmental decay even if they were not physically caught in a disaster.
Recent research has left little doubt that this is happening.
A 10-country survey of 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 published last month in The Lancet found startling rates of pessimism. Forty-five per cent of respondents said worry about climate negatively affected their daily life.
Three-quarters said they believed "the future is frightening", and 56 per cent said "humanity is doomed".
The blow to young people's confidence appears to be more profound than with previous threats, such as nuclear war, Dr Clayton said.

A survey of 10,000 young pepole about climate change found startling rates of pessimism. PHOTO: NYTIMES
"We've definitely faced big problems before, but climate change is described as an existential threat," she said. "It undermines people's sense of security in a basic way."
Many of Dr Doherty's clients sought him out after finding it difficult to discuss climate with a previous therapist.
Ms Caroline Wiese, 18, described her previous therapist as "a typical New Yorker who likes to follow politics and would read The New York Times, but also really didn't know what a Keeling Curve was", referring to the daily record of carbon dioxide concentration.
Ms Wiese had little interest in "Freudian BS".
She sought out Dr Doherty for help with a concrete problem: The data she was reading was sending her into "multi-day panic episodes" that interfered with her schoolwork.
In their sessions, she has worked to carefully manage what she reads, something she says she needs to sustain herself for a lifetime of work on climate.
"Obviously, it would be nice to be happy," she said, "but my goal is to more to just be able to function."
As for Ms Black, she had never quite accepted her previous therapist's vague reassurances. Once she made an appointment with Dr Doherty, she counted the days. She had a wild hope that he would say something that would simply cause the weight to lift.
That didn't happen. Much of their first session was devoted to her doomscrolling, especially during the night-time hours. It felt like a baby step.

"Do I need to read this 10th article about the climate summit?" she practised asking herself. "Probably not."
Several sessions came and went before something really happened.
Ms Black remembers going into an appointment feeling distraught. She had been listening to radio coverage of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, and heard a scientist interviewed. What she perceived in his voice was flat resignation.
That summer, Portland had been trapped under a high-pressure system known as a "heat dome", sending temperatures to 46 deg C.

Wildfires in the US have been linked to climate change. PHOTO: AFP
Looking at her own children, terrible images flashed through her head, like a field of fire. She wondered aloud: Were they doomed?
Dr Doherty listened quietly. Then he told her, choosing his words carefully, that the rate of climate change suggested by the data was not as swift as what she was envisioning.
"In the future, even with worst-case scenarios, there will be good days," he told her, according to his notes.
"Disasters will happen in certain places. But, around the world, there will be good days. Your children will also have good days." At this, Ms Black began to cry.
She is a contained person - she tends to deflect frightening thoughts with dark humour - so this was unusual. She recalled the exchange later as a threshold moment, the point when the knot in her chest began to loosen.
"I really trust that when I hear information from him; it's coming from a deep well of knowledge," she said. "And that gives me a lot of peace."
Her goal is not to be released from her fears about the warming planet, or paralysed by them, but something in between: She compares it with someone with a fear of flying, who learns to manage his fear well enough to fly.
"On a very personal level," she said, "the small victory is not thinking about this all the time."

 

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BMI labels in school report cards can impact child's well-being: Experts​

Such reports can also give the impression that a person's weight is an important measure of self-worth, the experts added. PHOTO: PEXELS

Luke Pachymuthu
Senior Correspondent

JAN 31, 2022

SINGAPORE - Physical development markers like the Body Mass Index (BMI) can have a negative impact on a child's mental well-being, said medical and mental health experts.
Such reports, which are usually published in a primary school pupil's report book, can also give the impression that a person's weight is an important measure of self-worth, the experts added.
Checks by The Straits Times found that some primary schools include a BMI report in pupils' report card using these categories: severely overweight, severely underweight, overweight, acceptable and others.
Responding to queries, a Ministry of Education (MOE) spokesman said schools measure the height and weight of all students in primary and secondary twice a year to monitor their physical development, in line with Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-Age guidelines set out by the Health Promotion Board.
Based on these parameters, students outside the healthy range for physical development will be given support to focus on habits like healthy eating and regular participation in physical activities, he added.
The spokesman said: "Schools may reflect these measurements in the Holistic Development Profile report to communicate to students and parents as part of efforts to strengthen the home-school partnership in enhancing students' well-being.
"In addition to physical health, schools look out for the overall well-being of our students, which includes their mental and social health as well."

Consultant psychiatrist Brian Yeo, who runs a clinic in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said body weight indicators can have an adverse affect on a child's mental health.
In some instances, it could trigger eating disorders like binge eating, cutting and even anorexia, he added.
Dr Yeo said: "If the intention is to let the school be aware of which students need help in their health, then the screening data can be sent to school health services for follow-up.


"I do not think there is any reason for the BMI to be listed and then categorised in the school report book."
Dr Courtney Davis, from the Adolescent Medicine Service Department of Paediatrics at KK Women's and Children's Hospital said research has shown that childhood obesity is associated with poorer body image, low self-esteem and increased risk of eating disorders.
She said: "Discussion of obesity with children must be done in a non-stigmatising and non- blaming way. The BMI has to be interpreted in the context of the child's overall pattern of growth, health status, dietary history and pubertal development."

ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
Senior clinical psychologist Henny Irawan Tan from Promises Healthcare said the labels used for the weight classification can lead to stigma.
She said: "Having the BMI classification in the report book may unintentionally encourage children to consider weight as an important indicator of self-worth, and some may also view being outside the 'acceptable' range as being a failure.
"This can lead to them developing negative views of themselves and low self-esteem, which has been shown in numerous studies to be associated with various mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety."

Dr Elaine Chew Chu San, head and senior consultant at the Adolescent Medicine Service Department of Paediatrics in KK Women's and Children's Hospital, said parents play an important role in helping children navigate difficult issues like weight management.
"It is common that parents feel uncomfortable talking about weight with their children, and especially about the issue of being overweight," she said.

Body weight indicators can have an adverse affect on a child's mental health. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Dr Chew added that parents could approach the overweight issue from the perspective of health as opposed to focusing on appearance.
She said: "Emphasising the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and promoting positive body image are crucial." "It is also important for parents to be role models of healthy lifestyle habits and to help develop a positive body image in their children."

Parents query need for including BMI in annual report​

The father of a 12-year-old girl found out last year that his daughter had been quietly struggling with weight and body image issues.
The likely source of much of these feelings were the comments on her weight in her school report book, said the father, Alex (not his real name).
The 47-year-old regional sales and marketing director said: "My wife was doing spring cleaning in the room and came across this note, which read: 'I want to be thin. I don't want to be fat.' "
In a section called Physical Fitness, the report book classifies a child's weight as severely overweight, severely underweight, overweight or acceptable among other categories to indicate the child's body mass index or BMI.
Alex said that in the six years at the school, his daughter had been classified as being severely overweight or overweight at least three times.
Two of those reports were during the two years when the Covid-19 pandemic kept pupils at home with fewer opportunities to participate physically in co-curricular activities.
Alex said he had contacted his daughter's school to raise concerns over the BMI categories in his daughter's report book.
The school's response, seen by The Straits Times, was: "The aim of the BMI report is to provide information about students beyond the academic domain and not to label the children.
"Nevertheless we understand where you are coming from."
Alex said he did not pursue the matter any further.
More than 15 parents The Straits Times spoke to said they understood the rationale for assessing a child's BMI in school.
However, they also questioned the need for labels and asked if it needed to be included in the annual report card.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Got7's Jackson Wang opens about struggles with mental health and fame as a K-idol​

K-pop idol Jackson Wang shared that talking to his friends helped him. PHOTO: JACKSONWANG852G7/INSTAGRAM
Suzanne Sng


APR 21, 2022

LOS ANGELES - K-pop idol Jackson Wang has opened up about his mental health struggles and how he dealt with fame from being in boy band Got7.
In an exclusive interview with American entertainment portal Entertainment Tonight, the 28-year-old spoke about his time in Got7, which made their debut in 2014.
"For the past eight years, I've been living the commercial life. I've been living on a schedule, show after show. It's like a loop," said the singer-rapper-host who was born in Hong Kong. He is active in both China and South Korea, and most recently performed at Coachella in California last Saturday (April 16).
"And, that's why, after eight (to) nine years of that, I got to a point I lost it, mentally. I was lost, I didn't know what to do."
He shared that talking to his friends helped him.
"Whenever I deal with stress, I used to not talk with anybody because I felt like, 'I'm just gonna find the solution and solve it'.
"But it got to a point where, with the positive energy of friends around me, that they gave me, they forced me, they sat me down and talked with me, and it's the first time in my life that I felt that connection," he said.

While he is still part of the wildly popular Got7 - the band is on hiatus while its seven members pursue solo projects - he is forging ahead with a soon-to-be-released album, Magic Man.
He dropped a single, Blow, from it on March 31.
He said making making music was liberating for him after overcoming his mental health struggles.
"The concept and everything are free. I've never been this raw, ever in my life."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Screening for anxiety should begin at age 8, US panel says​

Doctors and psychologists have warned that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on some children may be traumatic. PHOTO: REUTERS


APR 13, 2022

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Children as young as eight years old should be screened for anxiety and those aged 12 and over for depression, according to new recommendations by the government-backed US Preventive Services Task Force.
The guidance for healthcare providers, still in draft form, applies to children and teens who are not showing signs or symptoms of these conditions.
"To address the critical need for supporting the mental health of children and adolescents in primary care, the Task Force looked at the evidence on screening for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk," task force member Martha Kubik of George Mason University said in a statement.
"Fortunately, we found that screening older children for anxiety and depression is effective in identifying these conditions."
Follow-up care can reduce symptoms of depression and can improve, and potentially resolve, anxiety, the statement said.
While the problem of undiagnosed mental health issues in children predates the Covid-19 pandemic, doctors and psychologists have warned that the impact of the health crisis on some children may be traumatic.
Online schooling, lockdowns, social distancing requirements, mask-wearing and other lifestyle changes could have significant impacts on children's mental health, experts have said.

The task force did not find enough evidence to determine whether it would be beneficial to screen children for anxiety before age eight or for depression before age 12, or whether to screen any children for suicide risk.
"More research on these important conditions is critical,"said task force member Lori Pbert of University of Massachusetts Medical School.
"In the meantime, healthcare professionals should use their clinical judgment based on individual patient circumstances when deciding whether or not to screen."
The drafts are available for public comment until May 9.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Watch out for warning signs a loved one is contemplating suicide, and how you can help: Experts​

About 60 per cent of those who attempt suicide do so on impulse. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: SAMUEL ANG

Timothy Goh
Health Correspondent


MAR 28, 2022

SINGAPORE - There are several warning signs that a friend or loved one may be contemplating suicide, Dr Jared Ng, senior consultant and chief of the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) Department of Emergency and Crisis Care said on Monday (March 28).
These include texting or posting on social media about how they cannot go on living or no longer want to live, or suddenly posting photos of people on high-rise buildings. The person contemplating suicide may also start writing and giving out letters to say goodbye, or giving away their treasured possessions to others.
"Who is able to watch out for these kinds of warning signs and intervene? It is really the family and loved ones," said Dr Ng, who was speaking at a webinar series on mental health organised by IMH and the Temasek Foundation.
His fellow speaker, Dr Patanon Kwansanit from the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry in Thailand's Ministry of Public Health, said people without any professional training can still help their suicidal friends and loved ones by simply responding as laymen.
"Show you care, show empathy, don't (worry) too much about whether you're good enough to be a good listener... and then suggest your friend get proper help or treatment," he said.
Agreeing, Dr Ng added that if the situation is urgent - for instance, if the suicidal friend is already on the ledge - the police should be called as they can intervene quickly and take the suicidal individual to an appropriate agency for help.
Dr Ng, as well as Associate Professor Daniel Fung, chief executive of IMH, who was moderating the session, said that more efforts are needed to address gaps in the suicide prevention landscape here.

Dr Ng said that, like elsewhere in the world, the main causes of suicide here tend to differ among age groups.
For youth, this generally tends to be because of relationship and identity issues, in the areas of roles, gender and sexuality. Youth may also be stressed by family problems, or marital issues their parents face.
The leading causes for adults tend to surround relationships, financial or employment issues. For the elderly, they are issues leading to isolation, such as widowhood or painful, disabling, terminal illnesses.


From data around the world, about 60 per cent of those who attempt suicide do so on impulse, while the remaining 40 per cent will have planned their attempt for some time, said Dr Ng, adding that there is no such data available for Singapore specifically.
He noted that there are already multiple measures in place to help deal with suicide here on various levels. These include school-based psychological well-being and skills training programmes, screening to identify those who might be at risk, public awareness campaigns and helplines, as well as improved media reporting and portrayal of suicidal behaviour.

Dr Ng said that one of the main gaps here is in the reliance on the police to respond to attempted suicide cases.
Pointing out that the United States is setting up a national suicide prevention hotline, separate from the main police line, he said a similar initiative in Singapore would not be possible at the moment, as there is currently no one here who can respond to suicide cases as quickly as the police.
He added: "So we still rely on the police.... (but) when the police come, that comes with a certain stigma. And people may not be so willing then to call for help."
Prof Fung said there is a need to look at what might cause a person to even think of suicide in the first place.
This could involve looking into adverse childhood experiences, tackling trauma that children might experience so as to reduce the risk of suicidal thinking in the long run, he said.
"If you really truly want to prevent suicide, then you have to go upstream," added Prof Fung.
Citing a poem by English writer Joseph Malins, Dr Ng highlighted "the importance of building a fence at the top of the hill, rather than have a fleet of ambulances down in the valley".
He said: "You want to prevent people from falling and I think the same applies for suicide prevention... every suicide is a tragedy."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

New mental health centre in Newton to focus on helping young people​

One of the counselling rooms at the new centre. ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM
Goh Yan Han


APR 23, 2022

SINGAPORE - More young people can receive mental health help with the opening on Saturday (April 23) of a centre in Newton that focuses on helping youth and adults.
The centre is the fourth one opened by Brahm Centre, a charity set up in 2012 with a focus on promoting happier and healthier living to seniors, but has been expanding its focus to young people as well.
Mr Tan Ding Xuan, 21, said the strategies learnt during a foundation-level mindfulness course at Brahm Centre helped him through the anxiety he felt during his national service.
He was the emcee at the launch of the centre at Goldbell Towers as he had joined Brahm Centre as an intern, after experiencing the benefits of the course.
The new centre has two counselling rooms and two seminar rooms for courses on mindfulness - the practice of paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental way - and youth programmes.
Brahm Centre founder Angie Chew said youth today face issues such as worrying about the future, the pressure of being compared with others and feeling that they are not good enough, and abuse, as well as stigma and anxiety from identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, among other things.
She added that the new centre would offer more accessible mental health services, being centrally located.

She said: "The approach to helping people with mental well-being issues... needs to be holistic in nature. And the two stakeholders that have the greatest influence on our young are parents and teachers."
Adjunct Associate Professor Chew said Brahm Centre had, in December last year, launched a Lighthouse Programme that has a mental health literacy component and internship component.
The literacy programme for schools is done in partnership with Tan Tock Seng Hospital's psychiatry department and Harvard Medical School assistant professor in psychology Sara Lazar.


It involves students, parents and teachers in workshops on mental well-being, understanding how the brain works, and using mindfulness to reduce stress.
Since January, 1,900 students, 350 teachers and 50 parents have participated.
The programme also offers structured internships for students aged 15 and above to develop work skills as well as mental resilience. Since December, 20 young people have participated.
In collaboration with MOH Holdings, Brahm Centre is also offering free counselling services to its staff who are medical officers, houseman officers, dental officers, and medical and dental residents.

Mr Tan Ding Xuan emceeing at the launch of the centre. ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM
Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary, who was the guest of honour at the centre's launch, said in a speech that even as Singapore gradually resumes normal activities amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many people may continue to feel anxious or worried.
"In dealing with this, a supportive community is going to be vital in normalising conversations on mental health and encouraging those with mental health needs to then reach out," he said.
Mr Tan said he took part in a more advanced course in March after having seen how mindfulness had helped him.
"I learnt more about the triggers of my anxiety, fears, anger, regrets and guilt. These courses have given me a much-needed foundation to greet the future with more confidence and optimism."
Now in his work with Brahm Centre, he hopes to reach out to youth like him.
He manages the charity's social media pages, and is launching a 10-episode podcast series in May on youth mental health.
Together with Prof Chew, the pair will discuss peer pressure, hustle culture, which is the mindset of putting work above everything else, as well as discrimination, bullying and depression, among other topics.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

How loneliness is damaging people's health​

The human brain, having evolved to seek safety in numbers, registers loneliness as a threat. PHOTO: NYTIMES

APR 26, 2022

NEW YORK - For two years, you did not see friends like you used to. You missed your colleagues from work, even the barista on the way there. You were lonely.
Here is what neuroscientists think was happening in your brain.
The human brain, having evolved to seek safety in numbers, registers loneliness as a threat. The centres that monitor for danger, including the amygdala, go into overdrive, triggering a release of "fight or flight" stress hormones. Your heart rate rises, your blood pressure and blood sugar level increase to provide energy in case you need it. Your body produces extra inflammatory cells to repair tissue damage and prevent infection, and fewer antibodies to fight viruses.
Subconsciously, you start to view other people more as potential threats - sources of rejection or apathy - and less as friends, remedies for your loneliness.
And in a cruel twist, your protective measures to isolate you from the coronavirus may actually make you less resistant to it, or less responsive to the vaccine, because you have fewer antibodies to fight it.
New York City, where one million people live alone, was for two years an experiment in loneliness: Nine million people lived in silos with smartphones and 24/7 home delivery, cut off from the places where they used to gather.
For Julie Anderson, a documentary film-maker, it sets in every day at 5pm - the hour when she would be thinking of dinner with friends, evening plans, now shrunk to watching television alone.

Stephen Lipman, a fine artist in the Bronx, feels it in the idle hours - once a cherished time to work on his art, now drained of ideas or motivation.
Ms Robin Solod, who lives alone in New York City, thought she was an unlikely candidate for loneliness. "I was too busy schmoozing," she said of her life before the pandemic. "Chicken soup at the Mansion Diner. We would go to Zabar's on the West Side every week, get a bagel, sit, schmooze. Who was home? I never was home. Then, all of a sudden, everything comes to a halt."
As pandemic restrictions finally lift across various parts of the world, one unknown is the lasting effects of two years of prolonged isolation and the loneliness that came with it.

For Ms Solod, one of the hardest blows came just before the pandemic, when she had to part with her loyal companion, a rescue Shih Tzu named Annie.
Ms Solod, 67, has health problems that keep her in a wheelchair and, eventually, she felt she could no longer care for the dog. "Now, Annie lives out in Long Island and it's so lonely without her," she said.

Stephen Lipman, an artist, at home in the Bronx borough, on April 8, 2022. PHOTO: NYTIMES

Biology of an epidemic​

Loneliness, as defined by mental health professionals, is a gap between the level of connectedness that you want and what you have. It is not the same as social isolation, which is codified in the social sciences as a measure of a person's contacts.
Loneliness is a subjective feeling. People can have a lot of contact and still be lonely, or be perfectly content by themselves.
In small doses, loneliness is like hunger or thirst, a healthy signal that you are missing something and to seek out what you need. But prolonged over time, loneliness can be damaging not just to mental health, but also to physical health.
Even before the pandemic, the United States Surgeon-General Vivek Murthy said the country was experiencing an "epidemic of loneliness", driven by the accelerated pace of life and the spread of technology into all of people's social interactions.
With this acceleration, he said, efficiency and convenience have "edged out" the time-consuming messiness of real relationships. The result is a public health crisis on the scale of the opioid epidemic or obesity.

New York City, where one million people live alone, was for two years an experiment in loneliness. PHOTO: NYTIMES
In a 2018 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, one in five Americans said they always or often felt lonely or socially isolated. The pandemic only exacerbated these feelings.
In a recent citywide survey by New York's health department, 57 per cent of people said they felt lonely some or most of the time, and two-thirds said they felt socially isolated in the prior month.
Being lonely, like other forms of stress, increases the risk of emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.
Less obviously, it also puts people at greater risk of physical ailments such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, dementia and premature death.
In experiments, lonely people who were exposed to a cold virus were more likely to develop symptoms than people who were not lonely.

Chipping away​

Before the pandemic, Ms Solod was not concerned about any of this. She lived alone, which did put her at higher risk of isolation, but she had always immersed herself among people. "A million friends," she said.
But New York can chip away at one's social network. Friends get buried in work, move away, find lovers, change dog parks. Men are more likely to be socially isolated, but women are more likely to be lonely.
For people aged over 60 like Ms Solod, who are one of the highest-risk groups, the isolation often begins with their health.

Ms Robin Solod at home on Manhattan's Upper East Side, on April 9, 2022. PHOTO: NYTIMES
Six years ago, she began treatment for lung cancer, then multiple myeloma. Suddenly, her life revolved around medical treatments.
Yet she was still enjoying the city with her friends or her mother, who lived nearby.
A year before the pandemic, her mother died. That was a connection she could not replace. She still had lots of social contacts, but she was missing a meaningful connection that she needed. The name for that gap is loneliness.

Loneliness in the genes​

Integrative neuroscience professor Turhan Canli of the State University of New York at Stony Brook wondered whether there was a gene that turned on or off when a person was lonely.
Past researchers had shown that loneliness, like other forms of stress, was associated with depression, inflammation, cognitive decline and heart disease.
From the Rush University Memory and Ageing Project in Chicago, he was able to get tissues from the brains of older adults who, in their final years, had answered questions about their levels of loneliness.
Prof Canli's analysis provided an insight into the physical, cellular nature of loneliness. He found distinct differences between the brains of lonely and non-lonely people.
Some genes that promote the proliferation of cancerous cells were more activated in lonely people, while genes that regulate inflammation were turned off.
"We found hundreds of genes that would be differently expressed depending on how lonely these people felt," he said. "These genes were associated with cancer, inflammation, heart disease as well as cognitive function."
He cautioned that, as with many studies of loneliness, his did not prove that loneliness caused these differences in gene expression - it might simply have been more prevalent in people who had them.

Julie Anderson, a documentary filmmaker, at home alone in her Lower East Side apartment, on April 13, 2022. PHOTO: NYTIMES
Film-maker Anderson described nights when she felt so oppressively lonely that she would not answer her telephone. "I feel that the loneliness feels so heavy, that if I call someone, I'm going to be so down that they don't want to talk to me. It's exactly what I should do. I just don't feel like it."
For Ms Solod, the pandemic brought new levels of loneliness. There was the abrupt end to casual encounters with neighbours, merchants or waitstaff. There were the friends who used to visit, but were suddenly just voices on the telephone.
Even if life returns to the way it was before the pandemic, it is unclear how far the loneliness of the last two years will lift or what scars it might leave behind.
According to Dr Stephanie Cacioppo, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience at the University of Chicago, loneliness, like other forms of stress, may leave lasting damage.
One early indicator is life on the college campus, she said. "Now that students are back, we are hearing so much loneliness and isolation tied to disappointment. College is not what kids expected it to be."
So social isolation was reduced, but a form of loneliness has lingered, in the gap between the social life people want and what they have.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Survey finds 2 in 5 S'poreans have mental health struggles; initiative launched to drive action​

This statistic increases to one in two in young people aged 15 to 35. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ST FILE

Clara Chong


APR 30, 2022

SINGAPORE - Two in five people have personally experienced mental health struggles, and this statistic increases to one in two in young people aged 15 to 35.
These figures from a mental health survey conducted last month were unveiled on Saturday (April 30) at the launch of #BetterTogether, an initiative by the People's Action Party (PAP) to raise awareness and drive collective action for mental health in Singapore.
The survey of 607 Singaporeans conducted by PAP's youth wing, Young PAP, also showed that more than 70 per cent of the participants felt there is a lack of awareness of the issues associated with mental health. And more than 70 per cent of them do not feel equipped to help or support someone else who is struggling with mental health problems.
The results were brought up in a round-table discussion at the #BetterTogether launch at the Apiary in Neil Road.
The initiative is led by Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Minister of State for Education and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, and MP for Jalan Besar GRC Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah. It builds on the party's past and existing efforts in the community and Parliament to champion mental health literacy, support and destigmatisation.
Stressing the importance of building one's capacity in safeguarding one's mental health as well as those around them, Mr Chan said: "Many of our young students will not approach counsellors and professionals first, that is not natural. Rather, for a typical young person, when you or your friend encounters a problem, you are likely to talk to your friends."
This is because there is a trust young people have towards their peers, there are similar lived experiences and there is no judgment, Mr Chan said.

"#BetterTogether reiterates PAP's commitment towards mental health and building a resilient Singapore that can continue thriving amid adversity. We want to rally all to take action and advocate a paradigm shift with us so that no one is alone in his or her journey of recovery," he said.
From surveying perspectives to collecting feedback, to plenary sessions and dialogues on mental health and well-being, the initiative aims to consolidate people's concerns and proposals for legislative and policy changes, the ministers said.
Highlighting the need for an effort from the whole society, Ms Sun said: "Mental health is a deeply personal issue, but it is also one that extends beyond the individual because a person's life is so intricately interwoven into those around him or her. How do we ensure that there is a helping hand before one steps into the abyss of despair? It is paramount that we create a circle of care and support around individuals."
The public can find out more about #BetterTogether at this website.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

About 1 in 3 young people in Singapore has mental health symptoms: Study​

This is the first national study to estimate the prevalence of mental health conditions of youth. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Ang Qing

May 20, 2022

SINGAPORE - About one in three youth in Singapore has reported internalising mental health symptoms such as sadness, anxiety and loneliness, a national study has found.
Those aged 14 to 16 had more serious symptoms.
These were among preliminary findings from a survey that is part of the Singapore Youth Epidemiology and Resilience Study involving 3,336 young people aged 11 to 18 here.
The study by the National University of Singapore, in collaboration with the Education Ministry and the Institute of Mental Health, is the first national study to estimate the prevalence of mental health conditions of youth, as well as gauge their emotional resilience.
Meanwhile, roughly one in six young people said they experienced externalising mental health symptoms, such as hyperactivity, rule-breaking, aggression, said Associate Professor John Wong, who is the principal investigator of the study.
He was speaking at a panel on the state of youth mental health in Singapore at the Temasek Shophouse Conversations on Friday (May 20).
Other panellists were from the Institute of Mental Health, the Health Ministry's Office for Healthcare Transformation and Duke-NUS Medical School.

Prof Wong noted that youth aged between 14 and 16 also scored lower in resilience, compared with other age groups, which suggests that more attention should be given to address their mental health needs.
The study also found that a positive self image and building relationships were important protective factors, among others, against self harm and suicidal thoughts for young people in Singapore.
"This suggests that the future mental health workforce should take on a multidisciplinary approach to include not just psychologists and psychiatrists, but also mental health social work specialists," Prof Wong told The Straits Times.
Since the study was launched in April 2019, the research team had reached out to 16,000 students to get a representative sample across gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status.
More details about its findings will be shared in July, said Prof Wong.

 

[Leongsam]

The primary causes of depression, anxiety and general pessimism in the general population and in the young in particular are the fake narratives from the official government controlled fake news media outlets.

Not content with manufacturing the climate change hoax and how it's going to end life as we know it, they then proceeded to turn what is nothing more than a bad flu into a cataclysmic pandemic of biblical proportions.

All that is needed to restore the sanity of those affected is to just report the news factually and all will be well.

 

[dredd]

The primary causes of depression, anxiety and general pessimism in the general population and in the young in particular are the fake narratives from the official government controlled fake news media outlets.

Not content with manufacturing the climate change hoax and how it's going to end life as we know it, they then proceeded to turn what is nothing more than a bad flu into a cataclysmic pandemic of biblical proportions.

All that is needed to restore the sanity of those affected is to just report the news factually and all will be well.

And your solution is to live in ignorance and blame everything on the media?

Somethings never change... You're more of a moron than I thought.