Singaporean Members of Parliament (MPs) engaged in a robust debate on Tuesday (Feb 6), discussing various strategies to enhance youth mental health, including proposals for adjusting age requirements for mental health treatment consent, boosting mental health literacy, and understanding youths’ mental health needs.
Led by Dr. Wan Rizal, MP for Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (GRC), five People’s Action Party MPs from the Government Parliamentary Committee on Health tabled a motion emphasizing the significance of mental health and advocating for a national strategy to enhance mental health and well-being.
During the six-hour session, 23 MPs addressed the House, presenting their ideas on how to bolster mental health support for young people. Among the suggestions was the consideration of allowing youths aged 14 to 18 to seek certain mental health treatments without parental consent, particularly for issues like suicide prevention, where early intervention is crucial.
Rachel Ong, MP for West Coast GRC, proposed adjusting the age of consent for mental health services to 18 years old, emphasizing the need to encourage help-seeking behavior among youths. She suggested implementing tiered guidelines for mental health services, with basic counseling and screenings available without parental consent, while more invasive interventions would require it.
Additionally, Mariam Jaafar, MP for Sembawang GRC, emphasized the importance of mental health literacy, advocating for increased commitment starting from preschool. She highlighted the need for resources developed with input from students to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
Other MPs called for a deeper understanding of youths’ mental health needs and proposed measures such as mental health assessments for students and increasing mental health support in schools. Hazel Poa, Non-Constituency MP from the Progress Singapore Party, reiterated the importance of identifying students who need help proactively, suggesting annual mental health screenings and digital self-assessment tools like MindSG and Mindline.
Furthermore, there were calls for strengthening support networks in schools and ensuring safeguards for vulnerable minors seeking mental health help. He Ting Ru, Workers’ Party MP of Sengkang GRC, proposed mandatory background checks for individuals working with children and advocated for the establishment of a regulating body to uphold a universal standard of care.
The debate in Parliament reflects a growing recognition of the importance of addressing youth mental health issues and underscores the need for comprehensive strategies to support the mental well-being of young Singaporeans.
