How can young people build up their mental health and cope with societal pressures while adulting? Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. We all know that adulting is not easy, but why is adulting hitting the mental health of young people so much these days? ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo explores this with two guests in this episode. They are: Ms Lee Yi Ping, the programme lead and principal C...
May 07, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 136
A safe alternative to clinician-administered tests, the self-test for HPV can help prevent cervical cancer. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. HPV or the human papillomavirus is a common virus that is sexually transmitted, and while most HPV infections clear on their own, persistent infections with high-risk types can lead to cervical cancer. In March 2025, the Society for Colposcopy & Cervical P...
Apr 01, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 135
Combating loneliness with a mindfulness trainer. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Loneliness – that social pain of not feeling connected, is widespread. Inadequate social connections or social isolation is also a growing problem today. Social isolation and loneliness have significant, yet often overlooked, consequences for our health and longevity. The health risks are comparable to smoking daily, excess...
Mar 04, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Can excessive screen use cause your child to be easily distracted? Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Too much screen use can lead to a child having issues with sustained attention. Tasks like homework may become a challenge to complete. Indeed, as more evidence emerges on the impact of excessive screen time on a child’s cognitive development and executive functioning, the authorities have updated it...
Feb 04, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Research on the serious brain disorder paves the way to new treatments. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to others. Some people may associate the disorder with just hallucinations or delusions, but it is more than that. Those with the illness can experience co...
Jan 19, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Finding meaning and purpose in life. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. In this New Year’s day episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to Adj Assoc Prof Angie Chew about the importance of spirituality in our lives. They also discuss how to harness this source of strength to improve our mental health and find meaning, purpose, and happiness in life. Prof Chew is the Founder, CEO and Mi...
Dec 31, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Hypertension is a silent killer; check it before it’s too late. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Do you know if you have high blood pressure or what's also known as hypertension? According to the National Population Health Survey 2022, about one in three Singaporeans aged 18 to 74 has hypertension. This condition puts them at risk of heart disease and stroke. However, a significant proportion remains unaware b...
Dec 03, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Where is Singapore dementia research headed? Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. This episode is on a topic that affects millions worldwide: dementia. We will explore the differences between how dementia presents in Asian versus Caucasian populations, and what this means when it comes to early intervention and future treatments. Professor Nagaendran Kandiah, director of the Dementia Research Centre (Singapore) at...
Nov 05, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 129
There is no health without mental health. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Mental health is a national priority in Singapore. While the recent 2023 National Population Health Survey showed that there was an improvement in the mental health of the general population between 2022 and 2023, younger adults aged 18 to 29 remained more affected than other age groups, with about 26 per cent of them reporting poor men...
Oct 02, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 128
How to choose a healthier salt and cooking oil. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Singapore is planning to introduce Nutri-Grade labelling for salt, sauces and seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil. These are labels that will allow consumers to tell at a glance how healthy they are. The products will be graded A to D – with D being the least healthy choice, having the highest levels of sodium and/or satur...
Sep 03, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 127
How effective are your skincare products? Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. We all want to look as young and as healthy as possible, and one way to do so is to have healthy skin. But, as we age, our skin becomes thinner, less elastic and more dry and sensitive. There’s also a difference between Asian and Caucasian skin, but most dermatological research has focused on Caucasian populations. How can we then delay...
Aug 06, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Excessive screen time can lead to speech delays, autism-like symptoms in children. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. My 18-month-old loves viewing videos on my phone; why is he not talking? Screen time can help children develop social, creative, communication and other skills, but very young children, especially those below 18 months of age, are not ready for it. They should not be getting any screen time, unle...
Jul 02, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Vape users inhale not just harmful chemicals, but toxic metals into their lungs. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. E-cigarettes or vapes can contain less chemicals than cigarettes, but did you know that the former can expose users to toxic metals? Is vaping safer than smoking and just how harmful is vaping? Find out these and more in the latest Health Check episode with ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo,...
Jun 04, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 124
IMH trial to study efficacy of personalised transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Researchers from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore are studying a new personalised treatment for resistant depression. It is the personalised version of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a non-inv...
Apr 12, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Get started on moderate intensity physical activity to stay healthy. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Singapore wants to be a healthier nation, and everyone needs to play their part by leading healthier lifestyles. This would only benefit the individual, but not everyone exercises regularly. And, if you have watched the popular Netflix documentary series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, which ...
Mar 05, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Wearable tech can help us monitor our heart. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Today, we can easily find heart rate monitors in wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers. As Singapore shifts the centre of gravity in healthcare from acute hospitals to the community with its preventive care strategy Healthier SG, such wearable technology will likely become more popular as they enable us to...
Feb 06, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 121
An ADHD diagnosis can help you make sense of your life. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. The awareness of ADHD, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a common neurodevelopmental condition is growing around the world and more people have been diagnosed with it. Yet, many do not know that they have it while others may not have a good understanding of the condition, in order to thrive with it. AD...
Jan 02, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 120
It is always good to start having end-of life conversations early. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. There are some conditions that are difficult to treat, others possibly pointless to treat. Doctors know the limits of medical care and they can advise against further treatment, if the care is deemed futile. In this episode, we will hear about the difficult decisions that some doctors and some families...
Dec 19, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 119
It is always good to start having end-of life conversations early. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. End-of-life planning is never easy. A better way could be to start the process early by planning for the life you want to lead and leave behind. After all, death is a part of life, and it may be helpful to start thinking about it years before, said a palliative care doctor and a surgeon who does not sh...
Dec 05, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Learn about digital therapeutics. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Traditional healthcare is based on doctor and hospital visits, and it can take a long time to obtain appointments to see a healthcare professional. What if one day, an individual can be prescribed a digital therapy for their depression or other health issues remotely? He or she would not have to take any medications. In this Health Ch...
Nov 15, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Find out more about menopause and what you can do about it. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Menopause is a natural part of aging but the time leading up to menopause, known as perimenopause, affects each woman differently. Associate Professor Rukshini Puvanendran, the head and senior consultant of Family Medicine Service, and the co-lead of KK Menopause Centre at KKH, said that while many people ar...
Nov 01, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Find out more about the possible support that companies can give to people with mental health conditions. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Content warning: This podcast discusses suicidal feelings. Having a mental health condition can make work life pretty challenging sometimes, so should you tell your bosses about it? How should you go about doing that and what can companies do to support their empl...
Oct 18, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Each follow on the audio apps below and a rating really helps us! Happy listening! Synopsis: A brand new feature is within The Straits Times app, which you can download from the Apple app store or the Google Play store. For those of you who already have it, the latest version update now has a dedicated Podcast Section, where you can listen to our latest incoming show episodes and check out back episodes too. You can also choose to follow our podcast RSS feeds, or the shows on Apple Podcasts and ...
Oct 09, 2023•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Find out what these 'circles' of resilience are. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Peer support groups are a regular gathering of persons with lived experiences of mental health conditions. They have come together to support one another, and the mental health support they offer is what you can only get from someone who has been where you are. To learn more about peer support groups and the help they o...
Oct 03, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Our guest is overseeing Singapore's three-phase National Precision Medicine programme. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Precision medicine - sometimes known as personalised medicine or health - is an innovative approach to tailoring disease prevention and treatment that takes into account differences in people's genes, environments, and lifestyles. Professor Patrick Tan, the executive director of Pre...
Sep 20, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Gain insights into the usage of mental health apps, and whether or not to embrace them. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Mental health applications have grown in popularity over the years, with more employers turning to such apps to help improve their employees’ mental well-being. They typically offer online guides and mental health information and can link users up with a counsellor or coach, if nee...
Sep 05, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 112
The future of end-of-life options with dignity in Singapore. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Many people wish to die in the comfort of their own homes, surrounded by their loved ones. However, the reality is that it is not so easy to do so yet. In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks with Ms Sim Bee Hia, the executive director of the Singapore Hospice Council, about the chal...
Aug 16, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Our guest shares her experience with depression and suicidal ideation and how she overcame the unhealthy thoughts. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Recent data from non-profit suicide prevention centre Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) showed that 476 suicide deaths were reported in Singapore in 2022, the highest since 2000. Of the deaths in 2022, 125 involved those aged 10 to 29. This was 13 more than i...
Jul 19, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Our guests share how they dealt with their mental ups and downs. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. ST Podcasts is five years old! To celebrate our 5th anniversary, we recorded this episode live in front of an audience at Temasek Shophouse with three guests, and the topic was on youth mental health. Young people are a lot more open to talking about their mental health challenges these days, but there’s...
Jul 04, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 109
How to create safer, healthier online environments to protect children. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. In May, the United States surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy, who is known as the nation’s doctor, issued an advisory on social media and youth mental health to warn young people of the possible effects of excessive social media use. Dr Murthy said that social media started only about a decade ago an...
Jun 21, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 108
