Trend in the number of students with mental illnesses

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan, Pioneer SMC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education for each year in the past 10 years, what is respective number of students in (i) primary schools (ii) secondary schools (iii) institutes of technical education (iv) junior colleges (v) polytechnics and (vi) universities, with mental illness or psychiatric issues that were made known to the schools or institutes of higher learning.

Response

1. Students who require mental health support seek help from different avenues, including teaching staff and counsellors in schools and the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). Over the years, we have observed more students seeking counselling support including for mental health-related issues. This could be due partly to a growing willingness to seek help and the increased availability of support and resources. During counselling sessions, students typically share about a range of issues and may not say that they have been diagnosed with mental illness or have psychiatric issues.

2. Students dealing with mental health issues, as well as their parents, often prefer to keep their situation and the support they are receiving confidential and private. They may not share such information with the school or IHL. We are also mindful to treat any information shared with sensitivity and confidentiality, and hence do not have detailed statistics or share the information publicly.