Young people seeking mental health help should not have to worry parents will be informed immediately: Ong Ye Kung
Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung spoke in Parliament on Tuesday regarding mental health support for young people. He stated that youth may avoid seeking help if they fear their parents will be informed too quickly. This concern over confidentiality and parental consent can act as a deterrent. Ong noted that young people often want to recover but are afraid of their parents knowing first. He acknowledged that current practices regarding parental consent are not uniform.
Young people seeking mental health support may be reluctant to come forward because they are worried their parents will be informed too early in the process, said Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 3).Responding to a question from East Coast GRC MP Jessica Tan on the remaining policy gaps for youths and adults seeking mental health support, Ong said concerns about confidentiality and parental consent can deter some young people from seeking help."It is not that young people don't want to get better; they are sometimes just afraid and worried and they don't want their parents to know first," he said.He acknowledged that current practices around parental consent vary across schools, community services and healthcare settings, with some mental health practitioners calling for the removal of such a requirement for those above the age of 14.Ong described parental consent as a significant gap, noting that there is currently no uniform practice across schools, community care organisations, hospitals and clinics.