SINGAPORE – More youth between the ages of 15 and 19 reported that their quality of life and ability to manage their mental health have declined compared to the general population over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report from the Ministry of Communications and Communications in Singapore Commissioned Survey Information (MCI) found.
However, poll results, released on Sunday (March 19), showed that sentiment among the general population was rosier than that of young people, with seven in ten general public respondents saying their general life skills were the same or 2023 better than 2019.
MCI released these findings a day before the Covid-19 white paper is due to be debated in Parliament. The online survey was based on responses from 1,052 Singapore residents aged 15 and over collected between January 31 and February 6 of this year.
The poll showed that young people were less optimistic compared to the general population:
- Thirty-eight percent of young people aged 15 to 19 reported a decrease in their quality of life compared to before Covid, versus 28 percent of the general population
- 37 percent of youth said their ability to manage their mental health was worse in 2023, compared with 28 percent of the general population
- 40 percent of teens said their relationships with friends were worse than before the pandemic, compared with 28 percent of the general population
- 49% of them felt less able to pursue activities and hobbies compared to 32% of the general population
“This suggests that the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions on social activities was more felt by young people, especially teenagers,” MCI said in a media statement accompanying the survey.
GENERAL POPULATION POSITIVE ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE
The survey painted a different picture for the general population, showing that 72 percent of respondents felt their overall quality of life was the same or better in 2023 compared to 2019.
The 28 percent who felt their overall quality of life was worse were asked to rate 10 aspects of their current life, such as:
At least six out of ten of these 28 percent rated these aspects as equal or better.
“This points to an overall recovery,” MCI said.
Among the overall results, 77 percent of respondents said family relationships have strengthened or stayed the same during the pandemic, 82 percent felt the same about relationships with their neighbors and 71 percent about relationships with friends.
When respondents were asked to rate their overall quality of life now in 2023, 69 percent of them rated it as “good” or “very good.”
Ratings of “poor” or “very poor” were generally low in the 10 areas of life respondents were asked about.
For example, 72 percent of respondents rated their family relationships as “good” or “very good,” compared to 7 percent who rated them as “poor” or “very poor.”
About seven in ten respondents also expressed confidence in the ability of the country’s institutions, community and themselves to deal well with future pandemics.
For example, 75 percent of respondents were confident that Singapore will weather a future pandemic, while 69 percent will be mentally prepared to deal with it.
OTHER VULNERABLE SEGMENTS LESS OPTIMISTIC
Aside from youth, other “more vulnerable” segments, as defined by the MCI, were also less optimistic about their lives after the pandemic.
Respondents with multiple dependents, such as the elderly or young children, are now more likely to rate their overall quality of life as “poor” or “very poor” (18 percent) than the general population (10 percent). ).
Respondents who were unemployed also expressed less confidence in Singapore’s ability to weather another pandemic in the future (16 percent) compared to the general population (7 percent).
