Why people struggle with mental health issues in Singapore | Heart of the Matter podcast

(This episode of Heart of the Matter discusses suicide ideation. Listener discretion is advised.)
Young people aged 18 to 29 and the elderly over 70 are two groups who are showing the greatest signs of mental health distress in Singapore. What are the triggers, and what is the journey to seek help like? Steven Chia speaks to 23-year-old university student "Rae", 44-year-old father of teenagers Mak Kean Loong and senior clinical psychologist Chris Wong.
00:00 Intro
01:56 How 23-year-old "Rae" developed mental health issues
03:38 The triggers that affected 44-year-old Mak Kean Loong
08:09 What professionals see as common factors affecting those with issues
10:04 How Mak got help through a hotline
16:18 The challenges around stigma and mental health literacy
20:42 What people in the community can do to help those who struggle
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[@ZYD17]

It takes a strong person to share their experience. I pray for you guys as you continue your full recovery.

[@PAPLies245]

“This is because education is not about competition with one’s classmates but learning through collaboration and teamwork with one’s peers,” he noted. Competition for top-ranked schools is unhealthy and has inflicted serious psychological damage, according to mental health professionals, on our children.

[@damiantan6782]

True and too much comparison will lead to depression.😒

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

7:53 Steve Chia is spot on to point out that it is usually not 1 single trigger. Usually the cause is accumulated LONGER term mental & physical struggles: eg long term stressful situations, grief, emotions, malnutrition, lack of sleep. Then one day, the sky collapsed. We all will hv challenges. Along the way we need to take short breaks, release some steam, see a doctor, get some rest, go for walks, speak with someone, call the SOS or counselling helplines. Every dark cloud will pass.

[@shermanlow]

Thanks for the very authentic sharing, can't help crying buckle. Learn a great dear: active listening, empathy, seek help, receive help, avoid judging, don't give up...pls have part 2.

[@dyVal]

Who and what are the causes? School, teachers, classmates, overload assignments, etc Parents and relatives over expectations over kids school grades and performance, etc All roads are basically designed with 2 lanes, entrances and exits. Kids may have completed a good inner well being or mental treatment. But people or adults around should also receive treatment or social well being rehab. They are the daily interactions and surroundings of kids. Launch 2 kinds of treatments. For the kids with mental issues and for all the adults interacting with kids. Useless if one side of road is only upgraded or treated only. 😅

[@user-yd4yf3ho1f]

Society pressure, people being used or bullied by some narcissistics

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

Let’s learn how to deal with nasty, toxic and narcissistic people.😡

[@Kimmi7581]

When we are made to overwork with unrealistic work expectations and high cost of living, anxiety with paying bills and housing, no unemployment financial assistance, unaffordable medical. As result strain to marriage and family. List go on and on. For a rich country and the workers are working literally to early death. What a shame that we call ourselves a civilised society.

[@classiccasualgaming]

Come to Brunei. We do not overwork and love to eat, shop and eat. It is pretty relaxing here.

[@theonghantan862]

Thanks for the use knowledge 🎉🎉🎉❤❤

[@stevenchan7537]

Mental health mostly comes from human interaction. In additional to that, human is fixed by the education system, jobs, sleep and wake up almost the same time. That's why pets come into the picture to divert the attention. While everyone live in a cubical world, it become more difficult to get enough rest, and relaxing. Dealing different level of human interaction make depression worst. Meaning meeting annoying same person daily make depression worst. Even without meeting that person because the mind is already rooted in that particular storage of the brain.

[@godsamazinggrace5331]

Put the right thoughts in your mind Be Realistic Don't Compare Be Thankful

[@justnow5809]

Youre right, never look at others to compare....

[@Cendrawasih444]

This pod cast video should be played in parliament. And make them realise what went wrong

[@nuggetsss2526]

Because we live in a pressure cooker

[@godsamazinggrace5331]

Hang out with the right people People with good character and unselfish People who encourage you and are good empathetic listeners They are very rare actually! Someone said this to me you treat people like treasure But they treated you like trash!! Even so I still treat people the way JESUS would! ✝️❤️ GOD BLESS

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

❤👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🫡🙏🏻✝️

[@Tony.L9793]

nowadays maybe 3 out of 10 people with good character, others only love to backstab people

[@cherrypie6784]

Its hard to find one

[@user-oh6wb5rj2q]

❤

[@user-zd7qj1yb9d]

Upon listening to tis topic,i feel more sad just looking back at hw my parents wrk,n support me..then i realise tat who has more stress me or my parents n also who is depress more..

[@alonamortimer9535]

Life is beautiful alway pray and have faith in God and have contentment

[@elsonlow6119]

Too many ppl glue themselves to mobile. When they have stress or mental illness, they got nobody to turn to.. sigh!!! Don't follow this country system and education system.. Follow your own system that you are able to do so.. Live simple, Don't compare.. You will be better and happier before this illness grown inside you. God bless❤

[@damiantan6782]

Agreed 💯👍

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

❤Because people are living constantly feeling insecure and not having enough in life. The country adopt a besieged mentality and spread fear to the populace without rest at all and jack up the prices of everything in singapore even basic living necessities such as foods and even flats can be enocuraged to be use for speculations to upgrade in singapore. Basically you are living purely for the sake of living. You are not having enough balance,rest,fun and purpose in life and you are paying through your nose for everything in Singapore. Living in southeast asia yet paying european price standards instead without the european gold standards lol. You also have to juggle the inevitable ageing and health issues too combined with the above mentioned singapore hardship factors so the stress will eventually get to you no matter what you do. So that explain why many people have unhealth mental health in Singapore. And the tragic thing is this problem cannot be resolved. Pap need to step on your bones in order to live good in life. Making your lives easier will made them redundant in this world and they will lose their privileges as well so the problem can never be resolved.

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

Learn to let go. Take short breaks, respect the need for sleep, some exercise, sunshine, proper nutrition, respect others, pick up a hobby, humour, forgive yourself and others, smile, enjoy the simple things, be authentic, don’t compare with others, do good, be grateful. 😊

[@godsamazinggrace5331]

ONLY GOD'S TRUTH CAN SET you FREE ✝️❤️ BE HUMBLE BE RECONCILED TO GOD ❤ John 3 v 16-17

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

We are not orphans, we can turn to God Almighty who listens to our prayers and He will come to our rescue❤🙏🏻✝️

[@user-oh6wb5rj2q]

Save me please Jesus

[@vulcanken1273]

The government and IMH is inadequate and ineffective providing the necessary support to create constructive acceptance of mental illness to provide extensive public programs and more trained dictums with adequate subsidy for medication and related counselling. More empathy and compassion is needed help victims taking their pain seriously with patience and love. Patients suffer in great pain during attacks and need a listening ear that can be of great comfort .

[@rof8200]

If all else fails, turn to God. Turn to a higher power and ask God for help to understand the world and ourselves.

[@MyHanck]

If you are the creature waiting, here is the promise for you: Your sin is forgiven for Jesus’s sake. If you believe this to be true, you are free. You are forgiven. There is nothing to do. All have been done and completed for you at the cross.

[@AlgoNudger]

I think bcos of SG Gov really loves people's data (privacy, rights and freedom) and they also "forget" to read Jeffrey Pfeffer's book (Dying for a Paycheck). 🤔

[@AlgoNudger]

Is SG the next Japan?🤔

[@jaquelinekaku1302]

👍BEAUTIFUL VOICE !!! 👏👏👏🌷

[@Regina061]

I feel the whole “if you don’t do well for O-levels/A-levels/PSLE then your future is over” rhetoric being drilled into every student from parents, teachers and tutors contributes to the emotionally unhealthy and stressful nature of Singapore work life/education. It’s sad that most people in Singapore can only come out of this delusion by themselves when they fail O-levels and many years later find a suitable job and livelihood, but when we try to tell kids now that actually exams don’t really matter in the long run, they find it hard to believe it... That said, there is also a sort of despair whereby you work for school and exams, but if exams really don’t matter then what’s the point of anything at all? Imagine feeling like your life depends on every single little thing you do and you’re a mistake/failure over 1 mistake. Parents scolding you extremely loudly and shouting just every small mistake. Imagine carrying the sheer weight of perfectionism into work life. It’s no wonder that it’s not just teens but young adults are having highest proportion of mental illnesses.

[@user-zd7qj1yb9d]

Just wanna know tis is heart of the matter so wil tis be discuss in the nxt parliament sitting or just wanna wayang ah..

[@godsamazinggrace5331]

The mind is a very powerful domain of a person It needs to be properly controlled. As the saying goes An empty mind is the Devil's workshop/playground!! Filling in negative, dark and discouraging thoughts only fuel anxiety and depression!!

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

Don’t deprive little children of their childhood joy and fun, because deprivation will come back to haunt.

[@eddyzulkarnin8233]

World most expensive country to buy a car but taxi & ride hailing ride fare are way very low comparing to other major economies. Have anyone ever thought about it, driver daily overhead such as rental/lease, petrol, carpark and many more.... everything are getting expensive but fare are still pathetic. For driver, more daily trips plus longer working hours. How to have work life balance like that? Western tourist also wonder and ask driver how they earn with low ride fares in Singapore.

[@AlgoNudger]

Please, never let Singaporean turn BTNR into Aokigahara, please I beg the Gov, before it's too late. 🙇🙇🙇 *They deserve to live as human beings.* 😢😢😢

[@user-oh6wb5rj2q]

We have one here too, it’s known as Bedek Reservoir as u know

[@mingjie1765]

Oh like my classmate he get angry easily even if its just his team loosing to a game of captains ball

[@damiantan6782]

True nowadays people get angry quickly.

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

Pls avoid such toxic people who lose control easily. They are immature.

[@user-ijh7tl5ie3]

Choose to befriend positive people who are kind, caring and inspire others.❤

[@richardtan4179]

blame the.old man who transform island to a metropolis..work to pay,pay,pay No Play horrible life..

[@user-zd7qj1yb9d]

So just a quick qst lah ok,if a prsn tat hv been diagnose wit mental issues rite,so will tis kinda individual get more MC days cos other than getting sick they still will hv to check in wit GPs abt hw they r doing or just physciathic review??

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

Mental illness is the same as all other forms of sickness and chronic ailments in the workfield. You won't be given more prefential treatment and extra mc than what your company's annual medical leave entitles you to take. Unless you have a very kind and understanding employer otherwise you have to manage your own work and medical appointment dates so that they won't clash and also communicate with your company to see how work should be deployed and delegated.

[@elsonlow6119]

I feel that they expect too much of themselves and they can't achieve, they feel lousy and their inner self is Empty.. Choose your faith, pray and build your spirit inside you.. Open up and talk to wise ppl and find our what's life is all about? Is Not cars & condo... God bless and protect all those going through mental illness.❤❤❤

[@aaraonhon]

Stigma makes it worst for society to accept eccentricities

[@HotimusPrime]

Would the govt share any data whether or not the covid vaccine has any effects on mental health like anxiety and depression? What is the percentage increase of vacinated patients seeking mental health treatment year on year? There has been studies to show mrna vax affect brain.

[@AnNguyen-yu6dr]

Move to vietnam , on the weekend drink beer

[@stateofhead5262]

SO WHY?

[@shamballa3603]

living in the matrix is like hotel California, you just can't get out till you're dead...🤫🤫

[@morganyang9996]

Hello

[@Jkl62200]

Sorry but if he 'can't share and can't go into details' then why is he on the show?

[@user-zd7qj1yb9d]

I understand a bit of tis mental issue only lah but bro u make it sound so traumatising bro.. Somemore must jiak yok leh..

[@accomrade9157]

I'm a good psychiatrist and councilor , I can help them

[@Hs5687]

Mental illness can also be Weaponised by Malfunctioning PAP against Political Targets / Threats …ie. Induce Conditions, Label to Discredit …😊

[@christopherchiew9916]

I would avoid such ding dong people as far as possible.

[@user-zd7qj1yb9d]

Diagnosed??? Sounds like ah girl ownself diagnose ownself leh.. U say parents no stress u up but y the yali in such an early age..

[@Saladass-kc1hh]

Mental Health issue? More like Skill Issue🤣