Female migrants may struggle with mental health in Singapore, where they are often employed as domestic workers. According to a recent cross-sectional study, the workers sometimes suffer from stress and poor health, which impacts their quality of life. Others may feel isolated or mistreated. One group of researchers decided to find out exactly how bad—or good— the situation is for these women. Find out what they discovered during their research efforts.
Applicable Questionnaires
Using a series of questions in survey form, the research team explored the feelings and health perceptions of female migrant workers in Singapore, specifically those in domestic positions. The questionnaires asked about social connectivity, feelings of loneliness, health condition, stress levels, and other aspects of life. Each question permitted five different responses on a graduated scale. For example, answers for one of the social connection questions consisted of the following choices: Very Isolated, Isolated, Some Isolation, Connected, or Very Connected.
Interesting Statistics
The average age of the women surveyed was 35 years old, with the entire age range being between 20 and 63. Fifty-seven percent of the women came from the Philippines, and 37 percent arrived from Indonesia. Of these women, just 39% had some level of higher education. 43.6% were single, while the rest were married. To their surprise, the researchers found that for over half of the women, their domestic worker position in Singapore was their very first job.
Definitive Results
The results of the study revealed that around 73% of the study participants had a fairly good or very good quality of life in Singapore. Most of them were satisfied with their current state of health. However, 5.4% described their quality of life as poor or very poor, and 3.9% were not happy with their health condition. In addition, the study found that 52.5% of the migrant workers felt stressed, and 20% of them felt isolated or severely lacking in social connections.
Important Conclusions
While the general report is a good one, it’s still important for Singapore’s leaders to keep a close eye on the sector of migrant domestic workers. Exploitation and mistreatment can easily creep into a situation, ruining the worker’s quality of life and impacting her mental health in Singapore. Even normal levels of stress and anxiety can increase until they become unbearable, causing other issues like depression in Singapore. It’s important to address stress or harmful situations right away, to avoid more costly, painful complications in the future.
Stress Management in Singapore
If you or someone you know is a female migrant domestic worker suffering from stress and anxiety, take time to seek help before the problem gets worse. Visit a psychiatrist or psychologist in Singapore who can help you cope with stress, handle anxiety, and reclaim a better quality of life. At Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic – Psychiatrists and Psychologists for Mental Health in Singapore, we maintain strict confidentiality, and we care about each one of our patients. Contact us anytime to schedule your visit.
Article by Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic Blog Team
