CONSCIENTIOUS CONVERSATIONS: YOUTH ACTION IN CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

1-in-7 individuals suffer from mental health (MH) problems in Singapore today, and the MH burden is reportedly felt more strongly by youths in their developmental stage of identity-making. While injustices experienced by persons with mental illnesses (PWMIs) have long been accentuated as a pervasive problem that necessitates greater action, it is only recently during the COVID-19 pandemic that MH-conversations increasingly surfaced due to the increased distress collectively felt by youths that led to the rise in youth MH action. However, in youths’ identification as MH-advocates to fight for justice, they may also be subjected to public stigmatization. The question remains as to why youths are still willing to take the ‘risk’ to speak out on MH issues. Structured from a life-course perspective in analysing the narratives of youth MH-advocates, this study explores the emerging phenomenon of youth action in championing for MH in Singapore by examining (1) youths’ personal biography and their turning points in becoming MH-advocates; (2) how youths are emotionally driven to seek justice for their peers and how they negotiate with their identities in Singapore where MH is stigmatized; and (3) the continuation or discontinuation of their involvement as they transit into adulthood. Key findings revealed that youths’ dispositions and habits do not age out easily as they age into adulthood, and can instead be consciously or subconsciously transferred into new moments of conscientization in their newly formed identities. Ultimately, this study hopes to pave way for greater conscientious conversations on MH to promote inclusivity towards PWMIs.