Quarter-life crisis: 78% of Singapore yuppies feel stressed and unsatisfied about work

Fear of losing jobs, not saving enough money for the future and economic uncertainty are making young Singaporeans worry about suffering from depression, anxiety and cancer.

A study conducted by Royal Philips Electronics revealed that young adults aged 18-24 are more stressed than their older counterparts, and are not satisfied with the amount of free time for family and friends.

Findings from the Philips Index: Singapore’s Health & Well-being Report 2010 show that Singaporeans feel the most dissatisfied with the cost of living, the amount they earn, the amount of stress they have, the amount of vacation time, and their jobs, as compared to the other aspects in their lives – community lived in, relationship with family and friends etc. 68% are stressed about the high healthcare costs, 62% on saving enough money for the future, and 61% are worried about losing their jobs.It appears that the main factors affecting Singaporeans’ levels of satisfaction and stress are those related to financial and economic factors. Although Singapore has a high standard of living, cost of living and affordability seems to be an issue, contributing to their level of stress.

In contrast, elderly Singaporeans generally feel positive about their health, with 82% of those aged 65 and above rating it as good or very good. This might be a possible result of the government’s efforts to promote active ageing in Singapore. However, less than half of Singaporeans aged 65 and above feel that their own health is their responsibility – which is low compared to countries like Brazil, China, US and Germany.