From May to June 2020, the National University Health System Mind Science Centre (NUHS MSC) conducted two surveys.

They are the:

• Workplace Resilience survey
• Mental Health Resilience survey

The two surveys, which were hosted on iamaccb.sg, reached a total of 3,256 respondents.

More stressed at work and at home

Under the Workplace Resilience survey, which had 1,407 respondents, it was concluded that Singaporeans who are working-from-home face higher stress levels than frontliners.

However, the distribution of the 1,407 respondents are not even: 114 of the respondents are frontliners, while 1,074 are working from home.

61 per cent of those working from home reported feeling stressed at work, compared to 53 per cent of frontliners.

Similarly, more work-from-home respondents (51 per cent) feel stressed at home, compared to frontliners (32 per cent).

Despite the stressful experience, majority still find their work manageable, according to the survey.

Only 19 per cent of the respondents were not confident of carrying out their tasks effectively, while 21 per cent felt that they were not able to adapt and cope with their work.

For the group working from home, females are more likely to feel stressed (63.8 per cent) compared to males (52.5 per cent).

Older respondents perceive themselves more mentally resilient

The Mental Health Resilience survey saw 1,849 respondents.

A key takeaway is that older respondents (45 years old and above) tend to report themselves as more mentally resilient during the Covid-19 period.

50 per cent of the older respondents answered that they are able to handle unpleasant emotions such as sadness, fear and anger, compared to the 41 per cent of the younger respondents.

47 per cent of the older respondents also felt that they are able to stay calm in difficult situations, while 39 per cent of the younger respondents reported the same.

The older respondents (61 per cent) are more confident of solving problems in their life, compared to younger respondents (49 per cent)

Younger respondents more anxious

In a similar vein, younger respondents are more likely to report having anxious thoughts and preoccupations.

50 per cent of the younger respondents frequently worry that something bad is going to happen to them or their loved ones.

In contrast, 38 per cent of the older respondents expressed the same concern.

The two surveys aim to better understand the perceived stress level and coping styles during the circuit breaker period across different demographics, for NUHS MSC to develop more resources and means of intervention.

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Top image via @corinnekutz on Unsplash, NUHS' Facebook page