SINGAPORE - More than 560 people have expressed their interest in improving youth mental well-being here, said Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee on Thursday (Feb 27).

He announced in a Facebook post the formation of a Youth Mental Well-being Network, which would bring together all their different views and coordinate efforts to help.

Through this collective, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), together with the Health and Education ministries, can identify opportunities and gaps to "dive deeper into, and work on together", said Mr Lee.

The MSF said that in the Government's engagement with young Singaporeans, many of them gave feedback that mental well-being mattered to them and their peers, and asked how they could contribute to promoting mental wellness for their generation.

Earlier this month on Feb 7, Mr Lee had invited those keen to drive change in the area of youth mental well-being to step forward with their ideas and contributions.

Mr Lee said he then started meeting, in small groups, youths, professionals and practitioners who are involved in the area of mental well-being.

He added that some good ideas included looking into enhancing mental health literacy, stepping up efforts against mental health stigma and having more youth-centric mental health research.

Among those who had expressed interest in helping were students, young working adults, parents and caregivers.

"Some may have personal, lived experiences - thank you for courageously sharing your difficult journeys and the insights you have gained. Others are professionals and practitioners in this space and you want to share your feedback and play a part," said Mr Lee.

The network will build on the existing work done by many agencies and community organisations, and Mr Lee said that working together could synergise and amplify efforts to better support the mental well-being of youth.

Those interested can still express their interest and views at this website.