‘Crazy, weird, scary’: Survey unveils negative labels youths associate with mental illness
SINGAPORE — Researchers have called for regular and compulsory education on mental health for youths, in the wake of a study that found a large proportion of this group having misconceptions of mental illness. Almost half (44.5 per cent) of 940 teenage students polled attached negative and pejorative labels to people with mental illness. “Crazy”, “weird”, “scary”, “stupid” and “dangerous” were among the words that came to mind then the respondents heard the term “mental illness”, reported the study, which was presented at the Frontiers in Mental Health symposium organised by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Nanyang Technological University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine on Tuesday (March 6). Some 46.2 per cent of the respondents, who were aged between 14 and 18, also said they would be “very embarrassed” if they were diagnosed with a mental illness, while nearly a quarter (22.7 per cent) said they would not want others to know if their relative were mentally ill.
60% of Singaporean staff experience above average stress levels
Are Singaporean employers doing enough when it comes to health and well-being programmes? It seems not. According to new research from Willis Towers Watson, local employers are still missing the mark, with many employees feeling that their needs are not being met.
OCD one of the most common mental disorders in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of most common mental health conditions here, according to findings from a nationwide study released on Tuesday (Dec 11). The disorder affected one in 28 people in their lifetime, making it the third-most prevalent condition after major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse. The illness is commonly characterised by recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses or images, and when severe, impedes a person's ability to function. Younger people aged 18 to 34 were more likely to have the condition than those aged 50 and above, said researchers from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), citing the findings from the second Singapore Mental Health Study.
Duke-NUS students seek to remove stigma of mental illness, Latest Singapore News
He was having a cup of coffee with a secondary school friend last year when the friend told him he had been suffering from depression. Mr Clement Sim was surprised that his friend had had depression for about a decade and he never suspected anything. Mr Sim, 29, now in his third year studying medicine at the Duke-NUS Medical School, said: "He was always cheerful and bubbly, and it really pained me to know that he was suffering in silence for the past 10 years." Upon learning he was studying psychiatry, two more of Mr Sim's friends came forward to tell him that they were suffering from depression.
What Are Psychological Disorders?
Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Understand the problems inherent in defining the concept of psychological disorderDescribe what is meant by harmful dysfunctionIdentify the formal criteria that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors must meet to be considered abnormal and, thus, symptomatic of a psychological disorder A psychological disorder is a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
11-year-old boy’s suicide due to exam and parental stress: State Coroner
SINGAPORE: For the first time in his life, the 11-year-old boy had failed his exams. Rather than face the disappointment of his parents, he jumped 17 floors from his bedroom window. On Friday (Oct 21), State Coroner Marvin Bay concluded that the boy’s death was not from an accidental fall but an act of suicide, adding that he seemed to have buckled under his parents’ pressure. The court heard that on the morning of May 18 this year, the day he was to show his parents his mid-year examination results, the Primary 5 student locked himself in his bedroom. Shortly after when his parents realised the door was locked, they opened it with a spare key and found him missing. They later found him at the foot of the block at 470A Fernvale Link.
A whopping 92% of working Singaporeans are stressed – and women are prioritising families over themselves, study finds, Business Insider - Business Insider Singapore
Pexels If you’re feeling stressed at work, you’re not alone. A vast majority of working Singaporeans are under stress, and women in particular feel that it’s less manageable, a survey has found. In the 2019 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey, a whopping 92 per cent of working Singaporeans report feeling stressed, higher than the global average of 84 per cent. Of this, 13 per cent say their stress is unmanageable, which is on par with the global average, according to the study which surveyed a total of 13,200 online interviews in 23 markets, including 502 residents in Singapore.
More people seeking help for mental health conditions, community group says, Singapore News
SINGAPORE - More people have been stepping forward to seek help in handling mental health conditions. According to Dr Vincent Ng, chief executive officer of AMKFSC Community Services, there has been a 42 per cent increase in people seeking help from its mental health service MindCare over the past two years, either for themselves or their loved ones. He was speaking at the MindStories exhibition at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage on Sunday (Oct 14), the first event in this year's Mental Health Awareness Singapore Learning Series initiative. Organised by AMKFSC, it features the personal experiences and anecdotes of 18 people in the fight against mental health conditions, such as people in recovery, caregivers and advocates.
On-going public education on mental health issues and advocacy can help remove stigma
Most people fear what they don’t understand. In the case of mental illness, a lack of understanding can give the wrong impression that all psychiatric patients are violent, cannot function properly and are nothing but trouble makers. This perception is magnified when the media highlights people with mental disorders who commit crimes and cause disruptions in the neighbourhood and not those who contribute to society.
Busting the Myths of Mental Illness
Do you know anyone with mental illness? According to statistics, one in six people in Singapore suffer from some form of it[1], which means someone close to you may be affected. Unfortunately, many patients are forced to keep their condition under wraps because of the stigma and taboo surrounding mental illness. They may be reluctant to seek treatment, or not follow the prescribed course of medication for fear of being found out. The social isolation makes it harder for patients to get the help they need.
How to tell if someone has depression
SINGAPORE: The suicide death of SHINee lead singer Kim Jonghyun on Monday (Dec 18) has cast the spotlight on the pressure K-pop artistes face. But it has also brought depression, clinically known as major depressive disorder, to the fore. In Singapore, depression is one of the top three mental health disorders, indicated the Singapore Mental Health Study conducted in 2010 by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The findings from the next survey, which started in 2015, are likely to be released in August 2018, according to IMH.
Physical Activity Reduces Stress
Stress is an inevitable part of life. Seven out of ten adults in the United States say they experience stress or anxiety daily, and most say it interferes at least moderately with their lives, according to the most recent ADAA survey on stress and anxiety disorders. When the American Psychological Association surveyed people in 2008, more people reported physical and emotional symptoms due to stress than they did in 2007, and nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year.
Many still steer clear of people with mental illness: Poll, Singapore News
Even as more people are seeking outpatient treatment at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), more than five in 10 respondents in a recent survey indicated they are unwilling to live with, live nearby or work with a person with a mental health condition. The survey, which is the first of its kind by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), found that most people agree that more needs to be done to reduce societal stigma, yet they are also reluctant to accept them on an individual level. In the survey of 1,796 people conducted last year, six in 10 people said they believe that mental health conditions are caused by a lack of self-discipline and willpower, while half believe that persons with mental health conditions should not be given any responsibility. But seven in 10 respondents acknowledged that persons with mental health conditions experience stigma and discrimination in their daily lives, and eight in 10 said they believe the best therapy is for them to be included in society.
Mental illness more prevalent among young adults, OCD one of top disorders in S’pore
SINGAPORE — Young adults are most at risk of suffering from mental disorders in Singapore, the latest Singapore Mental Health Study found. Those aged between 18 and 34 are more likely to have experienced bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse, and obsessive compulsive disorder, it said in a report on the findings, which were released on Tuesday (Dec 11). Other socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, marital status, education and income status are also associated with the prevalence of mental disorders.
