Journal

In Part 7 of our series on ADHD in Children and Teenagers, Senior Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Victor Kwok and Dr Tay Kai Hong discuss non-stimulant options for ADHD medication such as Atomoxetine, Guanfacine, Bupropion, as well as supplements such as fish oil.

In Part 6 of our series on ADHD in Children and Teenagers, Senior Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Victor Kwok and Dr Tay Kai Hong discuss the safety, efficacy, and possible side effects of ADHD medications.

In Part 5 of our series on ADHD in Children and Teenagers, Senior Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Victor Kwok and Dr Tay Kai Hong discuss the different options for treating ADHD, including medications, counselling, and art therapy.

In Part 4 of our series on ADHD in Children and Teenagers, Senior Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Victor Kwok and Dr Tay Kai Hong explain the difference between seeing a Psychiatrist and Psychologist for ADHD Treatment.

In the third installment of our series on ADHD in Children and Teenagers, Senior Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Victor Kwok and Dr Tay Kai Hong return to answer questions about diagnosing ADHD and other conditions commonly associated with it.

In Part 2 of our series on ADHD in Children and Teenagers, Senior Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Victor Kwok and Dr Tay Kai Hong answer questions regarding ADHD and Academics.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects over 1 in 20 (5%-7%) kids. In Part 1 of our series on ADHD in Children and Teenagers, Senior Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Victor Kwok and Dr Tay Kai Hong answer frequently asked questions about ADHD.

In Singapore and other countries, such as the United States, there is a growing call for social media and tech companies to safeguard the well-being of young people. Given their tender age and ongoing brain development, youths are particularly susceptible to the harms of social media. Parents need to shoulder part of the responsibility to protect their children from social media’s harms.

In this article, we interviewed Mr Ryan Huang, visiting Educational Psychologist and expert in Autism, Intellectual Disability and ADHD, on the impact of social media on neuro-atypical children and youth, and how their specific conditions may affect their social media use.

The typical onset of tics is around 4-6 years old, and they are more commonly seen in boys. In most cases, tics may resolve on their own, but in some cases, tics may persist and have a significant negative impact on daily functioning, including learning, emotional, and social/family relationships.

This International Women’s Day, Ms Siti Mariam and Ms Joanne Goh, Principal Therapists at Private Space, share their challenges as women working in the mental health field. They talk about their hopes for their clients and female mental health professionals.

CBT is the most widely used therapy for mental health disorders, including the treatment of anxiety and depression. Research has shown it to be effective in the treatment of panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, among many other conditions.

If you’ve delved into information about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), you might have encountered discussions on various themes or subtypes associated with this condition. Obsessive fears and compulsions are often categorised into themes such as those below:

Having secure and healthy relationships gives us meaning and enrich our lives deeply. Yet, we all know too well that relationships are not all sunshine and rainbows and can bring deep hurt and pain too. To nurture a relationship- in its various forms, is hard. However, you can take comfort that it is not all fate, but intentional effort so that we can securely attach to our partners and form a mutually intimate relationship.

While quarrels may be unavoidable, it is important for couples to have effective communication to repair any damage to the relationship after each conflict. In part two of this series, we will be exploring effective communication on how to repair the relationship after a quarrel or fight.

Having secure and healthy relationships gives us meaning and enrich our lives deeply. Yet, we all know too well that relationships are not all sunshine and rainbows and can bring deep hurt and pain too. To nurture a relationship- in its various forms, is hard. However, you can take comfort that it is not all fate, but intentional effort so that we can securely attach to our partners and form a mutually intimate relationship.

School refusal is a common behaviour among children and youth of school-going age. While it is a behaviour, it would be helpful to reframe it as an emotional response to external stressor(s) and an underdeveloped capacity to regulate distress.

Do you still remember the New Year resolutions you made at the start of the year? Are they about quitting social media addiction on popular platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook? Or perhaps being more mindfully present with loved ones and encouraging them to put their phones aside during meals?

If your child or loved one is facing one or more of the above concerns, do get an assessment by a qualified professional to obtain a clear diagnosis, enabling helping professionals to provide the right recommendations for support.

The Christmas and Lunar New Year holiday season is soon approaching. While it can be a time of celebrations and social gathering, for many, the anticipation and build-up of activities and events means increasing anxiety and stress levels.

Food plays a crucial role in our mental health. Not only do we spend a significant amount of time on meals and grocery shopping, but we also derive essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

When a young person experiences highly distressing incidents in their life, it can pose a significant threat to their physical or psychological well-being. While most young individuals are resilient and capable of processing their emotions over time without enduring long-term consequences, there are instances where severe and disruptive traumatic reactions occur.

For the young, social media is an important part of their lifestyle. It serves as a platform for self-expression, enabling them to garner peer approval. Additionally, the content they share – videos, jokes, and messages – shapes their identity and self-image.

A client sought counseling after discovering her husband’s infidelity. She posed questions like, “Should I get a divorce?” and “Can my marriage survive?” These are common queries following the revelation of an affair.

Family therapy is designed to improve family relationships and communication. It helps family members gain insight into the impact of their behaviours and learn to support each other through difficult periods. In this article, our senior family therapist Ms Joanne Goh shares more.

In this short Q&A series, we address commonly asked questions about depression treatment, discuss the effectiveness of medications vs therapy for depression, and explore what other treatment options may be helpful.

Seeking help for psychological distress may be a difficult but necessary first step towards recovery. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists are mental health professionals who can guide you in this journey. If you are seeking treatment for the first time, you may be confused and unsure of who you should approach. Let us explain the differences.

Sometimes, we get curious about what has happened. You are there for your friend, and not to satisfy your curiousity. If your friend wants to share, let him and if he doesn’t, just be present and respectful to the pain of his loss. In grieving, some people prefer to be doing things, stay with their emotions or both. Do what feels right for your friend. Restrain from saying things like “pain will heal all wound”, “don’t cry and just move on”, “you should be crying”, “he’s in a better place”. These are commonly said words as we don’t know what else to say but these can sound dismissive of the loss.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impact, uprooting lives all over the globe. Due to disrupted routines, social isolation, quarantine measures, health worries and the looming economic recession, there has been a rise in anxiety, depression, substance abuse and insomnia in the general population. It is likely that COVID-19 is here to stay, and the virus will continue to mutate. When the number of infections spike, some of us may choose to self-isolate. Here are four ways to combat COVID-19 blues as we settle into the new normal.

Are you experiencing higher levels of anxiety than usual? Ever wondered what are the different types of anxiety disorders, and how they differ from one another? Learn about the various types of anxiety disorders, one of the commonest forms of mental disorders diagnosed by GPs and psychiatrists.

The prevalence of mental illness in modern day society continues to rise. For every person who seek professional help, there could be a dozen who are quietly suffering. In this article, our Wellness Editor discuss the possible reasons for this trend.

Childhood and adolescence are joyful, painful, and messy all at once—and they are also the times when people are most vulnerable to eating disorders. Eating disorders are psychological illnesses involving unhealthy eating thoughts and beliefs. Major eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and orthorexia.

Eating disorders are common but serious medical conditions that often start in teenage years. Dr Victor Kwok, psychiatrist and medical doctor, explains why the pandemic may have resulted in more cases. He will also discuss the symptoms of eating disorders and various treatment methods.

How do ADHD present differently in men and women? What are the implications of these differences, and why is it important for doctors and the public to be more aware of this? Dr Tay Kai Hong, Psychiatrist from Private Space Medical, shares his insights and more in this 5-question series.

Stress is no stranger to us. We experience it when placed in difficult situations, and while it is usually thought of negatively, good stress motivates us to push ourselves and get specific tasks done. In this article, Dr. Victor Kwok, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, shares useful tips on managing stress.

Stress is an inevitable part of life. It is important for us to learn how to be resilient when faced with stress at different stages of our lives. Resilience is the ability to positively adapt to difficult situations and use resources to recover effectively.

DSWPD is a type of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder with a pattern of delayed sleep onset and wake times. They are often called “night owls” as their biological clock is set to a later time. For instance, instead of sleeping at conventional timings like 11 pm and waking up at 7 am.

Social phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder) is characterised by an intense fear of being negatively judged by others in social settings. Persons with social phobia are excessively worried about being embarrassed or humiliated. It is more than mere shyness and can leads to avoidance of the office or team activities.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 4.4% of adults1. It was previously believed that children with ADHD outgrow the condition as their brains “mature” with age, but it is now known that up to 15-65% of children with ADHD will have their symptoms persist well into adulthood2.

The data captured by these tech devices are objective and clinically relevant. Such data may relate to sleep patterns, activity levels and time spent at home. An elevated and fluctuating resting heart rate may be a surrogate marker for high-stress levels.

Imagine this. Its 2am in the morning. You have been tossing and turning in bed for the past 3 hours, trying hard to fall asleep, but your mind just refuses to shut off. You find yourself increasingly frustrated. You check your watch – its 2.30am. You think to yourself “this is messed up. Tomorrow will be ruined”. You continue to fuss in bed. You shut your eyes and it feels like eternity. You lie motionless in bed, but you know your mind is active – actively trying to fall asleep.

Psychiatrist Dr Tay Kai Hong talks about what constitutes a psychiatric / psychological condition and explains his 5Ds framework. How do we differentiate normal stress from a disorder? And when should we seek help for psychological distress?

Psychiatrist Dr Tay Kai Hong talks about what constitutes a psychiatric / psychological condition and explains his 5Ds framework. How do we differentiate normal stress from a disorder? And when should we seek help for psychological distress?

People with depression usually have several of the above symptoms. A diagnosis of depression may be made by a trained mental health professional when the symptoms are severe, persistent and causes impairment to a person’s life.

Are anxiety disorders common? Yes they are. A large 2016 mental health study in Singapore found that 1.6% of the population suffer from Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This may not sound like much, but it translates to almost 100,000 Singapore residents.

Join Dr Victor Kwok, Psychiatrist, Private Space Medical and Shynn Tay, LilasBlooms, in Mindful Bouquet Creation. In this master class, learn tips on floral arrangement from Shynn and mindfulness techniques from Dr Kwok to beautify your home, calm your mind and manage stress. It will end with a Q&A on depression symptoms and treatment.

After assessing my patients, I often suggest that they consider therapy. There are many misconceptions about psychological therapy. This may perhaps be due to the way therapy is portrayed on television (e.g. in Infernal Affairs, Tony Leong is talking to his therapist, Kelly Chen, while lying on the couch).