SINGAPORE: A mental health survey of undergraduates from five autonomous universities in Singapore found that three in four respondents want increased support for their academics.
This could include the introduction of grace days, or allowable delays beyond a specified deadline for all assignments.
The survey, conducted by the inter-university network, saw 470 respondents across the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore Management University (SMU) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
The inter-university network released the results of the survey in the UCare Mental Health Report on Tuesday (Jun 21), alongside recommendations to better support the mental health and well-being of undergraduates.
Insights from the survey will be shared with the autonomous universities to “guide the policy direction and derive recommendations” for the participating universities and Singapore as a whole, the report read.
The survey also found that 49 per cent of undergraduates surveyed prefer to address mental health issues on their own, even though there is “a high awareness” of the avenues of support in their universities.
About one in five respondents said they feared those around them would judge them if they used the professional avenues of help provided in universities and student-led initiatives, the report added.
“While undergraduates were fearful of being stigmatised and judged for seeking mental health support, nearly every respondent was willing to lend a hand to someone who needed support or was in distress,” said the inter-university network in a press release on Tuesday.
“This finding identifies a potential area for stakeholders within the mental health space to invest educational efforts in empowering youths to create a culture of care and self-compassion in their communities.”
