Designing for Mental Well-being

Shi Hui Saradevi Ng

Leveraging Singaporean culture for transformative care systems among young adults 

In a world of rising stress levels, mental wellness is one of the fastest-growing sectors, highlighting society’s awareness of mental health and desire for better coping. This map focuses on designing a care system for mental well-being, in particular that of Singapore’s young adults and leveraging Singaporean culture to nurture communities of care. 

Psychology originates from Western philosophy’s mind-body dualism, where mind and body are seen as separate entities, a philosophy uncommon in the East. The Chinese acknowledge the interconnection between one’s mental and physical health; hence, interpersonal and intrapersonal harmony is considered part of their well-being. Considering the differing perspectives on mental health, what does designing for mental well-being in Singapore, an Asian country, entail?

Framing this research is the post-pandemic period in Singapore from 2020 to 2025. Singapore’s pandemic lockdown, known as “Circuit Breaker,” resulted in restrictions on young adult activities such as dating and travelling. Amidst uncertainty, young adults navigated career transitions, leading them to reevaluate life’s priorities. The pandemic, however, led to increased mental health awareness among the general public.

Despite improved mental health literacy, 1 in 3 young adults experience poor mental health, highlighting issues in applying skills to upkeep mental well-being and a gap between the lived experience and that of awareness. While several top-down initiatives were launched by the Singapore government, this research would adopt a bottom-up approach, focusing on the individual and interpersonal community. The hypothesis is that by designing for mental well-being around community rather than individual sufficiency, it shifts care into a shared and ongoing practice. 

Due to the sensitive nature of mental health, the research was developed in consultation with an art therapist to ensure emotional safety and credibility. A care system was developed based on both the literature and the researcher’s qualitative findings. By examining the intersection between self-care and mutual care, the developed care system fosters sustainable habits of mental well-being through reflection and exploration. Three steps guide users in cultivating better mental well-being, beginning with nurturing the skills of self-awareness through reflection, exploring a variety of care activities tailored to the user’s needs, and ultimately building routines to sustain them. The developed care system enables the creation of mental well-being tools and services that address not only the individual through self-care but sustain it with mutual care.

KEYWORDS: care systems, mental well-being, mental health, communities of care, design for social change