27/04/2023
This is the first nationwide study of youths' mental health and resilience.
The study found a gap in parents’ understanding of such issues. Many parents do not really know their children well.
Prof Wong, director of the NUS Mind Science Centre, NUS Medicine said, “this is a timely call for parents to develop a relationship with their children when they are young so that when they enter the puberty years, they will have channels of communication, conversation and understanding.”
He went on to say that, “There is a need to look out for adolescents in distress, we don’t want to wait until mental health symptoms become a disorder. We want teens, parents and educators to help them recognise (symptoms) early and get professional help”
The following are the key findings:
- Only about one in 10 parents observed signs of distress in their children, but one in three adolescents reported such symptoms.
- Overall, one in 10 respondents met the criteria for at least one mental health disorder.
- Teens aged 14 to 16 have reported experiencing more mental health symptoms.
- Adolescents from single-parent households also had more problems than those from dual-parent families.
Only about 1 in 10 parents observed signs of distress in their kids, but 1 in 3 adolescents reported such symptoms. Read more at straitstimes.com.