Voices of Youth Mental health Parents can do more to support young people

Mental health issues among the young have been on the rise (Depression, anxiety, stress: 1 in 3 youth in Singapore reported very poor mental health, says IMH survey, Sept 19).

- Michelle Chen Kaixuan, 16 Secondary 4

As a young person, I feel the pressures of today's world. We live in an era vastly different from the one our parents grew up in. Social media plays a massive role in shaping how we see ourselves and others. We often compare ourselves with the "perfect" lives we see online, and feel inadequate as a result.

Include the academic expectations and social norms that we try to fit into, and it is no surprise that many of us struggle to cope.