Stress.. So stress!!

Nearly eight in 10 young Singaporeans suffer from mild to severe stress, according to a new health survey.

The Philips Index for Health and Well-being Report 2010 also found that young adults aged 18 to 24 were also the most concerned about suffering from depression and anxiety.

Those surveyed said healthcare costs, money and job security were factors that contributed most to their stress.

But not all is doom and gloom.

The study also found that 68% of Singaporeans felt the most optimistic about their health and well-being, ranking first in the Philips Index, above Australia and Brazil.

The study, which explores perceptions and behaviours, surveyed a nationally representative sample of 800 Singaporeans aged 18 to above 65, over the telephone. It was conducted over 20 days, from Jul 15.

Psychologist Daniel Koh told Yahoo! Singapore: “It is a period that can be very competitive in all aspects, especially for those who are starting a new career, starting a family or have just graduated.”

He has seen a 10 to 20 per cent increase in young adults seeking help, mainly for anxiety and stress, starting from the financial crisis in 2008.

And even as the economy continues to improve, young adults continue to seek help because their lifestyle demands and expectations have also risen — leading to more stress, he said.




Figure 1: Extract from Philips Index: Singapore's Health & Well-being report 2010 (Courtesy of Philips)

Assistant director for sector development at the National Youth Council, Ng Guan Ing, feels the young have been able to cope with the stresses through seeking help from counsellors or confiding in a parent or friends.

But Dr Koh pointed out, “If one is constantly trapped in having negative thinking, putting oneself down, consumed with their anger, etc, dependent on others, fear, etc one is more likely to be impacted more.”



Figure 2: Extract from Philips Index: Singapore's Health & Well-being report 2010(Courtesy of Philips)

The study also found young adults had the strongest sense of responsibility over their health, with half of the respondents agreeing their health was “mostly up to me”. But, they also had the biggest group – 9 per cent – who felt “there is not much I can do about my health”.

Ms Ng pointed out, access to information and greater awareness are among the reasons why the young feel more responsibility, but another dimension is their “sense of invincibility”, which contributes to continued behaviours such as smoking and drinking.

Those aged 45 to 54 had the smallest proportion of respondents who felt responsible for their health. The majority, 66 per cent, took the more moderate choice, believing how one takes care of oneself “makes an important difference” to one’s health.

Interestingly, most of the seniors surveyed felt they had good, or very good, health, but only four in 10 felt personal responsibility over their health.

Senior medical officer and assistant director for Hua Mei Mobile Clinic, a homecare provider under the Tsao Foundation, Ng Wai Chong was surprised by some findings.

He said his experience has not shown the elderly feel positive about their health.

Unlike young people, they have various ailments, which provide them with a “reality check” that not everything in within their control, said Dr Ng, who was concerned those 65 and above consistently scored lower on various measurements of health and well-being

What would help, perhaps, is for the elderly to form groups to share health concerns and tips, he suggested.



(Courtesy of Philips)

And, while only 21 percent of respondents thought they were overweight, figures from the National Health Survey show that obesity is on the rise.

In 1992, 21.1 per cent of those aged 18 to 69 years were overweight. In 2004, that figure rose to 25.6 per cent.

Among the 23 countries who were involved in the survey, however, Singapore came in top with a score of 68 per cent on the weighted Philips Index. Australia was next at 66 per cent while Japan had one of the lowest scores of 27 per cent for health and well-being.

Another seven countries are still being surveyed. The final report will be completed at the end of the year.