Should I let it out to Him first?: The different coping strategies of young Malay-Muslim women in Singapore

• Main Authors: Nurul 'Aqilah Binte Dahlan, Zaqia Alyya Binte Zaini
• Other Authors: Shannon Ang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Social sciences::Sociology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168619
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper explores the intersection of religion and gender as they relate to coping mechanisms for mental health among Malay-Muslim young adults in Singapore. Despite an increase in young people facing psychological distress, poor mental health remains overlooked due to public stigma. Prior literature has highlighted how religion and gender affect coping mechanisms but there is a research gap on its intersection. This study bridges the gap through semi-structured interviews with 14 Malay-Muslim young adults. The findings reveal that men cope by avoiding emotions to uphold an image of a ‘God-centred leader’ while women cope by being ‘emotionally-expressive caregivers’. This difference manifests itself in the ways they practice three coping mechanisms: self-treatment, social support, and formal treatment. Overall, this research sheds light on how gender changes the way religion influences the coping strategies of young Malay-Muslim men and women in Singapore when faced with poor mental health.