The National Youth Mental Health Study

The developmental period between adolescence and young adulthood is rapid and eventful, with changes in biological, psychological and social domains of life occurring simultaneously. It is during this time that youths are presented with opportunities for growth and achievements, yet they are also exposed to increased vulnerability to the onset of mental health problems. The Singapore Mental Health Study conducted in 2010 and 2016 revealed that most mental disorders occurred during teenage and early adulthood, with those aged 18-35 having the highest portion of mental disorders. A comprehensive assessment of the state of youth's mental health in Singapore is needed in order to better provide and support the needs of youth's wellbeing.

In collaboration with National University of Singapore, the Research Division at IMH is conducting a study to understand more about emotional and psychological issues of youths aged 15 to 35 living in Singapore. This study seeks to establish the prevalence of key mental health problems among youths and identify the level of unmet treatment needs and the financial, social and personal costs associated with these conditions. The study will adopt a mixed methods approach with a quantitative survey on youths followed by a qualitative phase to gain deeper understanding of the barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking.

Specifically, this study aims to:

Establish a high-quality baseline assessment of youth mental health in Singapore
Describe the current use of mental health services, level of unmet need and costs associated with mental illnesses
Investigate the role of significant childhood events in relation to development of poor mental health
Investigate the role of academic stress and poor mental health in youth
Identify social risk and protective factors for onset of mental health conditions during the transition across education systems and from education to work setting
Explore burnout among young working adults and its association with poor mental health

This three-year study is funded by Singapore's Ministry of Health.

For selected participants who wish to verify if they were approached by an authorized Mind Matters 2022-2023 interviewer, please visit the following .gov.sg link: https://for.sg/mindmattersverification. If the contact number provided to you does not belong to an authorized interviewer, please do not provide any personal information and inform us at 6389 2000.

The study team includes

Principal Investigator: