Interview: Addressing Anxiety and Self-harm in Our Children
In a report released by the Ministry of Health in 2021, mental well-being was a challenge for 52% of the youth who were polled.
The top stressors cited by the youth were anxiety over the future (53%), stress over finances (41%), and worries about academic or work performance (39%).
As for self-harm, a study among Singaporean adolescents in an outpatient setting reported that the prevalence of self-harm has been consistent at 23.1 percent from 2013 to 2018, which seems to be a rather worryingly high figure.
In this interview with Dr Penny Tok, we discuss the causes of anxiety and self-harm in our youth, and how we as parents can help prevent these in our children, or at least intervene early by detecting warning signs. Dr Penny Tok is a Child Psychologist in private practice who specialises in developmental, educational, and counselling psychology. She has taught and practiced psychology in Singapore, New Zealand, and in Europe. While she supports families in a wide range of areas, she has a personal interest in autism as well as in anxiety in children and youth.
Listen as a podcast: