9 in 10 Singaporeans still struggling with their mental health one year into the pandemic, men and younger adults most worried

SINGAPORE – Media
OutReach – 15 April 2021 – AIA Singapore today
announced findings from a new study on the state of Singaporeans’ health at the
one-year mark since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. It revealed that fears
over income loss and job instability caused 91% of respondents to report declines in
their mental health. Around 60% of respondents are also deeply concerned about
the added burden of other critical illness diagnosis such as cancer.

Ms Wong Sze Keed, Chief Executive Officer of
AIA Singapore, says, “While our nation is heading for a post-pandemic recovery,
mentally, we are still trying to navigate our way out of COVID-19
uncertainities. It is not enough to only take care of our physical health. This
conviction drives our holistic approach to protect the many aspects of our
customers’ wellbeing – such as financial, physical, and mental health – to enable
everyone to truly lead healthier, longer, better lives.”

In the latest AIA Health Matters Survey 2021,
the study polled over 300 Singaporeans aged 30 to 55 across a spectrum of
working adults that is representative of the the resident population.  

 

Path to pandemic recovery still causing anxiety, Singaporeans bogged down by fear of tackling
both mental health challenges and critical illness.

 

Not only are Singaporeans concerned about
their own health, but they are also feeling anxious about their family’s and
loved ones’ overall wellbeing. This further adds to the stress they have been
dealing with in the past year.

 

The past year saw an
increase in diagnosis concerns for critical illnesses (+10% compared to 2016),
with cancer being the most pressing concern (73% are worried). There is also a substantial
increase in stroke concerns, from 60% in 2016 to 68% in 2021. Amongst mental
health conditions, Anxiety and Major
Depressive Disorders were revealed to be the most prevalent.

 

The study also shines a light on how
different segments of the working population are coping with mental health challenges
and critical illness worries:

• Majority of the male respondents who are
  breadwinners stated that they are more likely to report when they are facing
  mental health and critical illness conditions compared to women. 
• Millennials (aged 30-39)
  reported higher stress coping with daily stressors at work as compared to
  pre-retirees (aged 40 and above).
• Millennials aged 30 to 39 (81%) are especially worried about cancer
  compared to older adults.

Insights on
Singaporeans’ ownership of critical illness plans revealed another issue:
mental health stigma still exists in society, which may stand in the way of
ensuring adequate protection. Because of this stigma, while insurance plans
with mental health coverage are available in the market, only 18%
reported that their critical illness plans or riders include mental health
coverage. Amongst the different demographic groups surveyed, men and millennials are
more willing to take up more extensive insurance plans such as those that
include mental health coverage.

 

As a leading life insurer, AIA Singapore is committed to doing more to provide
comprehensive support for customers, staff, and the wider workforce, including
taking care of their mental health. Since taking the lead in launching the
first critical illness plan with mental health coverage in Singapore in 2019
with the launch of AIA Beyond Critical Care
(AIA BCC) – the first and only
critical illness plan in Singapore to provide coverage for five prominent
mental illnesses: Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Tourette Syndrome (up to age 21). AIA BCC also
covers health screening and provides a refund of total annual premium (less
claims paid) at the end of the policy term.

 

Based on the AIA
Health Matters Survey 2021, 95%
of respondents feel that being adequately covered for early to advanced stage
critical illness is important. Addressing these needs, AIA Singapore has in place
an enhanced proposition where customers can have peace of mind knowing that
they have a choice to be protected holistically from early to advanced critical
illness, inclusive of mental illnesses.

 

 AIA Singapore has also been
committed to:

• Investing in new stress and wellness management training for more than
  350 people managers in AIA Singapore. These training sessions will teach staff
  to identify common mental health issues and how to appropriately support their
  staff in good times and bad, thus creating more positive working environments
  for employees to thrive. 
• Offering a complimentary Resilience Mindset programme for all AIA staff
  and corporate customers who make up about 1.2 million (or 1 in 3) members of
  the Singapore workforce. This complimentary access to resilience training for
  mental health will better equip working adults to cope with the evolving challenges
  posed by COVID-19 by practising positive habits daily.

To learn more about AIA Singapore’s latest
limited-time offerings for holistic protection on critical illness and mental
health, please visit: https://www.aia.com.sg/en/campaigns-promotions/acriticallygoodpromo.html and https://www.aia.com.sg/en/our-products/critical-illness-protection/aia-beyond-critical-care.html.