During this season of PSLE and national exams, it’s crucial to recognize stress factors in children and youth and offer them support. In this article, we’ll highlight some typical reasons for stress and explore ways to assist our children and youths. 1) What are some of the most common causes of stress in children these days?  Children often experience stress from schoolwork, peer bullying, parental discord, and over-scheduling with extracurricular activities. 2) Are certain types of children more susceptible to stress than others? It is possible that children who experience ong ..read more

Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition that requires long-term management, often with mood-stabilizing medications. However, the use of these medications during pregnancy presents a challenge due to the potential risks to the developing fetus. One such medication, sodium valproate, is associated with a significantly higher risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) and other developmental issues. The baseline risk of NTDs in the general population is approximately 1 in 1000 (0.1%). However, the use of valproate during pregnancy increases this risk significantly, with studies showing that approximatel ..read more

The Difference Between “Anxiety” and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Anxiety is a ubiquitous or common emotion that everyone will feel from time to time. This is a normal human response to stress and when the stressful issue or event is over, the anxiety will go away. Anxiety can be felt i) cognitively, ie worries or fearful thoughts, ii) emotionally, ie nervousness, kan cheong, iii) physically eg heart racing, tremors, butterflies in the tummy. In normal anxiety, the anxiety is transient, and the individual feels in control. While he or she may be transiently affected, the anxiety is neve ..read more

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Evidence-based medication treatment for ADHD in children and adults are as follows: For children: Stimulant medications such as methylphenidate and amphetamine are the most commonly used medications for ADHD in children. These medications help improve attention, reduce hyperactivity, and decrease impulsivity. For adults: Similar to children, stimulant medications are also used to treat ADHD in adults. In addition, non-stimulant medications s ..read more

1) What are the most common mental health issues affecting men, and do you have statistics for the percentage of Singaporean men who are affected by these issues?  Common mental health issues for men include Depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorders (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD) and Alcohol Use Disorder.  Overall about one in 16 men will experience at least one of this condition in his lifetime.  The lifetime prevalence of depression in men is 4.3%. The lifetime prevalence of GAD is 1.6%. That of OCD is 3.6%. That of alcohol use disorder is 4.1%. 2) What causes the ..read more

1. What are the signs of social anxiety? Individuals with social anxiety or social phobia will have serious anxiety when having to interact with others, being observed or when performing in front of others. Kids will try to avoid these situations and may express themselves by crying, tantrums, clinging to their parents, and inability to speak in social situations. The fear typically last for more than six months. It is a huge suffering for these children. For adults, they may avoid social interactions particularly in big groups and shy away from presentations or public speaking. These can af ..read more

What is a burnout? What are its symptoms? Is it considered a mental illness? “Burnout” was coined in the 70s by psychologist, Herbert Freudenberger. To date there is no scientific definition for burnout. It is general description of loss of interest and motivation towards work, following a long period of excessive stress. The sufferer complains of tiredness and lethargy. He or she may feel unappreciated and may be cynical about work and colleagues. Read about the differences between Burnout and Depression here. Why are medical professionals more susceptible to suffering from burnout? What do y ..read more

Do we really need to be making sleep such a priority? Is it really all its cracked up to be? From scientific studies, we know that our body and mind need an average of about seven to eight hours of sleep. However, sleep is not something we can control but good sleep habits or sleep hygiene is something we can cultivate. Ironically, if we were to put sleep as a priority and harp on it all the time, we then become anxious about sleeping and this may in turn result in difficulties initiating sleep. What is a piece of sleep research the expert finds to be hugely important, and are there any studie ..read more

Like Depression, Anxiety Disorders occurs commonly in the general population. Studies have shown that as high as one in six people will suffer from an episode of an Anxiety Disorder once in their lifetime. Anxiety disorder refers to the following psychiatric conditions: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Panic Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Social Anxiety Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Phobias Patients suffering from Anxiety Disorders who have been started on antidepressant medications often ask me, “Doctor, you prescribed me antidepressants, am I depressed?” Antidepressants Whilst m ..read more

What are the main causes for the low quantity/quality sleep in Singapore? Do some of the factors include the use of technology and psychological problems? This may differ in different age group. In teens and youth, it is a natural phenomenon that they tend to sleep later, ie. past midnight. However, they are still expected to wake up early for school resulting in inadequate amount of sleep. They also tend to be on their computers and mobile devices late into the night, further affecting sleep. For adults in Singapore, it is not uncommon to have less than 7 hours of sleep due to work commitment ..read more