Forum: Fortify mental health among youth to stop suicidal thoughts from taking root

A picture illustration of an individual going through stress. PHOTO: ST FILE

Much has been reported about the growing problem of suicide among the youth. There has been research done exploring technology and how it can make it harder for the young to find information on how to kill themselves on the Internet.

At the same time, the technology is also able to suggest free help or counselling, or just someone to talk to.

Using technology to make it harder to source for information on suicide may not be as effective as eliminating the thought altogether.

Perhaps our education system could help to strengthen the mental health of our youth through discussions on issues related to growing up, offering information on where to seek guidance and help, and working on case studies to help them realise that suicide is not the solution.

Another area of concern is how strong one's family bond is and whether there is open communication among family members, especially between parents and children.

Proactively preventing and eliminating the thought of committing suicide will probably yield a better outcome.

Andrew Tan Kok Chua

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 24, 2020, with the headline Forum: Fortify mental health among youth to stop suicidal thoughts from taking root. Subscribe