Podcast: Tackling youth mental health with empathy and support
THE story of Eleanne, a 27-year-old who has battled mental health challenges since childhood, sheds light on the rising prevalence of mental health disorders among Singaporean youths.
With 1-in-10 teenagers in Singapore experiencing mental health disorders, it has prompted the government to prioritise working with researchers around the world to study the causes of this phenomenon.
Eleanne’s journey reflects the struggles many youths face in seeking help, as societal pressures and stigma often hinder their ability to open up.
Youth’s immature still-developing frontal cortex - which governs planning, decision-making, logical consequences and impulse control - find it overwhelming to deal with today’s complex world, according to Tan Sze Ying, senior psychologist at the Singapore Association of Mental Health.
Organisations such as Limitless strive to break barriers by offering support services without parental consent, providing a safe space for youths to seek help.
Asher Low, executive director of Limitless, a non-profit that helps young people who are struggling with mental health, fuels his empathy and compassion from personal experience, having struggled with body dysmorphia in his youth.
The Limitless team has helped thousands of young people through their lowest points by being there for them, including Eleanne.
Eleanne’s experience, from initial struggles and reluctance to seek help to eventual recovery with the support of professionals, showcases the importance of destigmatising mental health conversations and offering accessible resources for youths in need.
The podcast also highlights the challenges and triumphs in navigating mental health in today’s youth population, emphasising the significance of early intervention and support.
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