The Importance of Mental Health

To me, mental health is an umbrella term for an individual's psyche, their emotions, their attachments, their relationships, their wins, their losses, and to be extremely clear, their identity as a whole. It embodies so much of an individual, and therefore we should treasure it and hold it nearer to our hearts, and not disregard it like most of society nowadays.

The mental health of a student is shaped by a melange of disparate factors, encompassing his/her family, social life, stress levels in school and many more. Therefore, if someone is facing challenges with his/her mental health, it is quite difficult to pinpoint firsthand the problems they may be facing. Hence, we should take a better approach, one that would allow us to first relate to them and their issues without demanding too much from them. Thereafter, we should try to build a common ground on the emotional level with them, such that they feel that they can be understood.

Though mental health is a topic which has gained massive popularity and widespread sentimental value in the last few months, it is enough for us to say that it is a topic which should be regarded with more attention and meticulousness, due to it being extremely intricate and fragile, easily fragmented when treated in the wrong way. We ourselves, the community, and the education system must do more in order to contribute to the mental health scene of Singapore, and ignite change to bring about hope in a better future where mental health is no longer stigmatised, and is, above all, respected and taken into account by each and every individual.