Notes from the Underground

Commentary, Notes from the Underground, School Life

RSS Mental Health Strand 2019
Reading Time: 8 minutes

By Wong Zi Yang (19A01D)

Photos courtesy of the Raffles Photographic Society

The Raffles Science Symposium Mental Health Strand is back and into its third year, and its focus? You. The theme for this year’s series of mental health talks is ‘Mind-Body Disconnect’, with the Mental Health Strand placing more emphasis on the correlation between physical and mental health. With a total of three external speakers, the event promised to be more prolific than its two predecessors. The event began with an opening address by Mr Magendiran; at least, it was meant to. Although he was originally positioned to deliver the opening address, the event began immediately with Ms Woo Mei Hui from the Raffles Guidance Centre introducing the first speaker, Mr Michael Chee instead. “That’s what happens when you don’t get enough sleep,” Ms Woo laughed, which proved to be an apt if ironic segue to the first topic of discussion.

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Commentary, Notes from the Underground

FEEL: Mental Health Awareness Week 2018
Reading Time: 10 minutes

By Mabel Yet (19S03Q) and Varun Karthik (19S06A)
Photos courtesy of Kathryn Oei (19A01A) from Raffles Photographic Society

In a perfectly ordered universe, we would hop out of our beds each morning at the keen ringing of our alarms. We’d buzz with energy as we attend all of our lectures and produce top-notch grades almost effortlessly. And we’d never break or buckle even under mounting pressure.

On the surface, it seems like everyone has got their act together, as we are expected to have. Having been blessed with so many privileges–from having a proper education to not having to worry about your next meal–it’s only expected that our lives ought to be impeccable and Oh So Wonderful. Yet, it is these expectations that have shrouded the difficult topic of mental health in shadow.

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Commentary, Notes from the Underground

Mental Health Awareness Week 2018: A Preview
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Mabel Yet (19S03Q) and Varun Karthik (19S06A)

With campaigns about mental health issues popping up all over the world (Singapore included), as well as an unprecedented number of celebrities sharing about their own struggles, our awareness of mental health issues has significantly increased. This progress might have led many of us to assume that we are already well-aware of the misconceptions and stigmas that shroud mental disorders, resulting in our dismissal of the value of mental health campaigns. And for those who are struggling themselves, especially, they would know that mental health can be something inexplicably raw and personal – something which mental health campaigns cannot fully reflect.

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Commentary, Notes from the Underground

RSS Mental Health Strand 2018
Reading Time: 9 minutes

By Nicki Chan (18S03C), Abigail Ang (18S06B) and Elizabeth Leong (18S06G)
Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

With a prominent focus on personal sharings and stories, this year’s Raffles Science Symposium (RSS) Mental Health Strand offered not only information about the important issue at hand, but also a message of hope for those struggling with their own mental wellbeing.

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Commentary, Notes from the Underground

Embrace; – Mental Health Awareness Week 2017
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Angus Yip (18A01A)

Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

Singapore is a society characterised by a fast pace of life; long hours at work and school have become a norm, creating an environment that has regularly been described as a “pressure cooker”. The number of stressed-out people is on the rise, and it has been estimated that one in six Singaporeans suffer from some form of mental illness.

In such an environment, it is imperative that we are aware of the importance of taking care of our mental health, as well as knowing about the methods we can do so. Of similar importance is that we know how to support others. To that end, the Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP) recently organised the Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW).

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