The youth of the country represents its future prospects. They have fresh ideas and immense energy that contributes to many fields. Singapore, a South-East Asian island city famous to be clean and green, yet luxurious, have youths who like any other youth of a country face challenges every day. The Garden City which sounds safe around the globe has unfortunately seen its youths suffering a bit. With a literacy rate of 97.5% (calculated in 2019), the country understands that well being of the future gems is necessary. So first, let’s focus on the challenges the youth face and then on how youth counselling in Singapore is addressed. 

What are the challenges faced?

Leading Stressful Life

Stress is one of the key factors that cause deterioration of the body and mind. The youth of the country has lots of things in their life which results in a stressful life and further leads to anxiety and suicidal tendencies. One of the prime things is meeting the expectations of others to get a job, or admission in colleges, or of peers, which is very exhausting and stressful. Therefore, to avoid such, youth counselling in Singapore is required. 

Seeking Professional Help

Suffering from physical pain always urges one to seek medical help at once. But seeking help for not feeling right takes a lot of time. Most of the youth never sought professional help when they suffer emotionally. The key reasons for which were as follows:

• Feeling embarrassed to speak up to an unknown.
• Feeling insecure to discuss with an unknown.
• Societal judgments, i.e., what will the society (mainly peers) will think.
• Lack of awareness among youths regarding mental health.
• Illogical taboos and myths discussed among peers and relatives.

All these lead to delay (and sometimes never) in seeking any professional help. The primary reason being the lack of awareness, not only among the youth but also in parents and teachers. This tends to not opening up and gobbling their emotions and thoughts. 

Not Treating Mental Illness Like Other Illnesses

The core problem lies in not generalizing mental illness like other physical illnesses. This has made people ignore youth counselling in Singapore and its need. Anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies, eating disorders, are just like any form of the disease, and sometimes worse. If you are not mentally well, your physical wellness will hardly matter. One’s productivity in any field is maximum when they are both physically and mentally sound.

How Can Youths in Singapore Tackle Such Challenges?

Opening Up More

It is necessary to open up to someone and pouring out what is troubling is crucial. It relaxes the mind to a great extent. Youth counselling in Singapore is somewhat initiated by assembling a group of liked ones. Mainly, there are hubs for that where a professional is always there to sort everyone’s issue. In this process, the youths communicate, make friends with like-minded ones and be supportive of each other. 

Awareness

The government has become a lot more conscious regarding mental health issues. So it has started awareness programs, especially for the youth. Counselling sessions have also started in schools and colleges in Singapore. For such an initiative, youths are taking mental health as a serious issue and asking for help whenever they need it

Every country has its own way to tackle youth issues. But in Singapore, mental health awareness is taken very seriously and counselling for youth is encouraged. Also, this awareness among youths has motivated them to understand the fact that the well being of mental health is equally important. A country achieves great things when the youths are more progressive!