What makes depression a tougher battle than it already is? An exploration of meritocracy’s influence on depression recovery in Singapore

• Main Author: Seit, Clara Yingqi
• Other Authors: Yu Wenxuan
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/69698
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper seeks to understand the journey of depression through the eyes of mental health professionals and Singaporeans who have been clinically diagnosed with this condition. In particular, it explores if meritocratic values underpinning Singapore’s social institutions exacerbate the stigma towards depression, and affects treatment outcomes. Previous studies have found that culture, network and knowledge contribute to the stigma towards mental illnesses, which is a formidable barrier to treatment-seeking. As Singapore’s meritocracy is results-oriented and concurs with attributes such as hard work, self-reliance, this study attempts to find out if (a) these values exacerbate stigma, and (b) which form of stigma is most pernicious towards treatment outcomes. Through a series of 11 semi-structured interviews, it was found that stressing on achievements has ramifications on self-stigma and subsequent treatment outcomes. Other findings include support for existing research which illustrate how public stigma denies individuals of opportunities and a lack of financial support serves as an impediment to recovery.