The mental health crises and concerns that have been in the spotlight are symptomatic of larger issues Singaporeans need to look at as a society.

I want to highlight a simple key we all hold and must learn to use: listening.

Time and again, those who suffer from mental anguish report a need for understanding and acceptance.

In our overworked and performance-based society, time is at a premium. Combined with the isolation many face in their lives, attentive listening is the last thing we have time for. Yet it is precisely what each of us needs for healthy formation.

Life has become more complex, and it is easy to be overwhelmed emotionally and mentally.

Children today have an enormous amount of information to process.

But with parents themselves being busy and distracted, it is common to see conversations reduced to administrative statements such as "have you done your homework?" and "hurry up". Without deeper exchanges, the human soul languishes.

Recent studies have highlighted that trauma need not come from life-altering events. Trauma can happen when a child or a teen cannot make sense of things or find help during a time of need.

These experiences of powerlessness can accumulate and do serious damage to self-esteem, outlook and resilience.

All of these point to the importance of being heard. When listened to, we are validated and our emotions and thoughts are affirmed, celebrated or corrected. This is a crucial process for mental well-being.

Our frenzied pace extends to all areas of our lives, and for children who spend most of their days at childcare or school, we have to also ensure that these spaces and their teachers place a premium on listening. This is one reason for us to seriously consider making class sizes smaller.

I am deeply concerned that as mental health concerns become more widely recognised, our recourse has been to ask teachers to be equipped to identify signs of trouble.

This approach may overwhelm school counsellors and teachers already inundated with work.

Jenni Ho Yim Tee