November 30, 2022

In ‘Commentary: Fixing “broken” youth not enough to tackle mental health issues — nurture them to flourish in life too’ (Today, November 2022), Ms Isabelle Tan, Dr Chew Han Ei (both NUS Institute of Policy Studies) and Associate Professor Vincent Chua (NUS Sociology and Anthropology) argue that while people pay growing attention to the prevalence and propensity for youth mental illness, mental health is also about the presence of positive qualities that promote one’s overall well-being and flourishing.

Mental treatment often attempts to bring patients from an emotionally deficient state to a neutral baseline. However, framing the issue around ‘fixing’ reinforces the perception that that those seeking help are deficient in some way, thus discouraging them from finding support.

As such, the authors suggest that it would be fruitful for mental treatment to also focus on recognising and nurturing the various strengths embodied by teenagers. Efforts can be spent on helping them identify what makes them feel fulfilled and engaged, thus building up a buffer against poor mental health and adversity. For instance, a strong network of social support had been critical for youths to remain mentally resilient in the past three years, in spite of anxieties caused by the pandemic. The future of mental health should not only be about fixing broken youths, but also creating the conditions for future generations to flourish and thrive.

Read the article in Today here: https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/commentary-fixing-broken-youth-not-enough-tackle-mental-health-issues-nurture-them-flourish-life-too-2054331