Prevalence of poor mental health increasing in Singapore; young adults have highest proportion at 25.3%
More Singapore residents are, however, willing to seek help, particularly from informal support networks, according to a survey by MOH.
More people in Singapore were willing to seek help for mental health issues in 2022. (Photo: iStock/Chaay_Tee)
SINGAPORE: Mental health has worsened in Singapore but more are willing to seek help, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) has found.
The ministry’s National Population Health Survey 2022, which was released on Wednesday (Sep 27), tracked the health, risk factors and lifestyle practices of Singapore residents aged 18 to 74, from July 2021 to June 2022.
Data was collected from around 8,000 adults through self-reported household interviews and about 9,000 adults through health examinations.
The survey findings showed that the prevalence of poor mental health increased from 13.4 per cent in 2020 to 17 per cent in 2022.
Younger adults aged 18 to 29 had the highest proportion of poor mental health at 25.3 per cent. The prevalence for other age groups was much lower, ranging from 10.5 per cent for those aged 60 to 74 to 19.4 per cent in those aged 30 to 39 years, results showed.
There were also more females (18.6 per cent) with poor mental health compared to males (15.2 per cent), according to the survey.
MORE WILLING TO SEEK HELP
At the same time, there was also an observed increase in the willingness of residents to seek help if they are constantly unable to cope with stress.
About 56.6 per cent of Singapore residents were willing to seek help from health professionals in 2022 - slightly lower than 58.3 per cent in 2021 but higher than 47.8 per cent in 2019.
Among the age groups, Singapore residents aged 60 to 74 years (48.1 per cent) were the least willing to seek help from healthcare professionals in 2022, while those aged 30 to 39 years (62 per cent) were the most willing.
Meanwhile, the proportion of residents willing to seek help from informal support networks such as friends and family rose to 79.7 per cent in 2022, up from 69.1 per cent in 2021 and 74.5 per cent in 2019.
Younger adults aged 18 to 29 years were most willing to seek help from these networks (88.1 per cent), while older adults aged 60 to 74 years were least willing (68.4 per cent).
The increased willingness to seek help for mental health issues "reflects continued public awareness of mental health and reduced stigma around mental health conditions”, said MOH in a joint press release with the Health Promotion Board (HPB).
On Wednesday, the authorities also noted that the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being is developing a national strategy to strengthen the mental health and well-being of the population.
In addition, efforts to increase mental health literacy, raise awareness of mental health services, and enhance community mental health services are ongoing, they added.
