Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Stressy, depressy, lemon zesty.
Since we’re in polite company; metaphorical defecation has hit the fan since COVID-19 happened. We’ve all lost four years – and counting – of our lives to the virus.
Okay, that’s a gross overestimate.
Since December 2019, there’s been a perennial shift in the way people live. The world went into lockdown – Singapore included, and strict restrictions were introduced before they were gradually lifted when the coast was clear.
Over first few months of COVID-19, anxiety levels in Singapore rose over the uncertainty of the future. The outlook was bleak. Employment rates fell the greatest since SARS in 2003, and various companies had to cut a significant amount of their workforce.
All these added to the uncertainty felt, fanning the flames of mental stress. Nobody was sure what the future held.
One thing’s sure though – the Singaporean government did great in response to the pandemic. A taskforce was even dedicated to monitoring the mental well-being of Singaporeans following the onset of COVID-19.
It’s no secret that there’s a stigma against speaking about mental health in Singapore. Issues concerning mental health have always been treated as taboo and swept under the rug, with Singaporean citizens adopting the “If you don’t talk about it, it’s not there” mentality.
Well, just because people pretend to see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
According to a survey, stress and anxiety levels worsened a whopping 42% while mental health overall worsened by 35% because of the pandemic.
Source: https://www.statista.com/topics/10594/mental-health-in-singapore/#topicOverview
More damningly, a survey conducted by NUS and its research partners revealed that about one in three of Singaporean youth reported mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness. This was notably more serious amongst those aged fourteen to sixteen.
At a basal level, it’s sad to be burdened with so much at that age, where most kids should be happy and free. At a country-level, it’s kind of worrying, considering that they are the future of our country.
An upside to the pandemic is that we’re finally beginning to see cracks of sunlight in an overcast sky regarding mental health issues in Singapore. Bound by a shared and sad sort of suffering, it’s heartwarming to see people gradually sharing about their struggles in life, because at the end of the day, we’re all human.
When facing great amounts of uncertainty, we crack. We fall and we get up, and then we try again. That’s what it means to be human.
Employees and employers included.
It’s nice to see that the Singapore is shedding light on the mental health of her citizens in the wake of the pandemic. Let’s be honest. It’s long overdue. As the guiding light of Singapore, employers are sure to take the directive of the government in placing a greater emphasis on protecting the mental health of workers.
There are even various initiatives already implemented to tackle mental health in the workplace.
Truth be told, Singapore still has a long way to go in fully supporting her people in term of mental health. But let’s take it as a win that we’re finally opening discussion on the topic and getting somewhere with it.
Small steps mark the beginning of a big journey, everybody. Let’s go, Singapore.
