Anxiety, stress and depression affect one-third of Singapore youth, reveals Institute of Mental Health study
Malay Mail
Fri, 20 September 2024 at 11:28 am GMT+84-min read
Malay Mail
SINGAPORE, Sept 20 — A nationwide survey by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) revealed that nearly one-third of youth in Singapore experienced severe or very severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress.
The National Youth Mental Health Study, released on September 19, found that young people aged 15 to 35 reported symptoms such as feeling empty, tense, or upset most of the time, as reported by the
Straits Times.
These findings were part of the first epidemiological study on youth mental health conducted in Singapore, according to the Health, Education, and Social and Family Development ministries in a joint release.
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“Navigating the complexities of youth is challenging enough, but young people today are grappling with unique issues that previous generations did not,” said chair of IMH’s medical board and co-principal investigator of the study Associate Professor Swapna Verma.
“For instance, social media exposes them to constant comparisons, intensifying concerns about body image.”
“The anonymity of the online world has also given rise to cyber bullying, which adds a new dimension of harassment that can be relentless and far-reaching,” she added.
Cyberbullying, body image concerns and excessive social media use were found to be significant factors contributing to the mental health struggles of young people.