The Big Read: Mental health no longer dirty words as awareness grows - but are some youths adopting labels too loosely?
Greater awareness of mental health among youths and accessibility of information online has led to a trend known as “therapy speak” where youths use language and terms related to mental health in everyday conversations. (Illustration: TODAY/Nurjannah Suhaimi)
- Greater awareness of mental health among youths and accessibility of information online has led to a trend known as “therapy speak” where youths use language and terms related to mental health in everyday conversations
- Experts say that while this indicates a broader, positive cultural shift in the way Singaporeans think and talk about mental health, there are pitfalls
- These include potentially dangerous misinterpretations of mental health and an increase in self-diagnoses that may not be accurate
- Meanwhile, youths with mental health struggles say that reactions of their loved ones to their conditions can still vary extremely from denial and dismissive to showing care and concern
- The youths and mental health experts say that there is a need to beef up literacy on the subject through educating employers, parents and children from an early age
Source: TODAY/rc
