1 in 3 middle-aged women in S’pore had anxiety symptoms; more distressed less likely to seek help: Survey

SINGAPORE – About one in three middle-aged women in Singapore showed symptoms consistent with anxiety, while around one in five showed symptoms consistent with depression, according to a study released on Oct 6.

Among women who had previously experienced mental health concerns, workplace pressures and family problems were their main stressors.

Those who were more psychologically distressed were less likely to seek help for mental health concerns, and higher distress was associated with the perception of mental health services as being less affordable and less accessible.

Women experiencing higher distress were also less likely to believe that loved ones would support them seeking professional help.

Higher distress was also linked to greater loneliness.

And nearly three in four women agreed they would feel like a burden to others if they had a mental health disorder.

This last finding stood out because it “highlights that midlife women may prioritise the people who depend on them over themselves”, said Dr Sherry Aw, a senior lecturer at James Cook University (JCU) in Singapore, which conducted the survey with Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO).

SCWO and JCU said the aim of the study was to better understand the mental well-being of women in midlife, “an often-overlooked group balancing work, caregiving responsibilities and family commitments”.

50% experienced mental health concerns

Around 500 Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 40 to 59 were surveyed. They were recruited through SCWO’s partner organisations and social media, and data was collected in 2025 from August to November.

Around 33.5% of the respondents showed symptoms consistent with anxiety, and 21.8% showed symptoms consistent with depression.

The study also found that half of them said they had experienced a mental health concern or condition at some point in their lives.

For these 244 women, workplace pressures were the most commonly cited source of stress – 54.3% said workplace stress was a moderate or extreme source of stress, followed by family problems at 51.3%.

The other cited stressors were romantic relationship troubles (44%) and unresolved trauma (43.4%).

Caregiving duties, despite being a major part of midlife for many women, ranked lower at 35.3 per cent.

Women in midlife can face several pressures at once, including career demands, caring for children and ageing parents, financial responsibilities and menopause, SCWO said.

Dr Aw added that mental health concerns rarely stemmed from a single source, with workplace demands, caregiving and family pressures accumulating over time.

The researchers added that a subtle form of stress for working women could be gendered ageism.

“In the workplace, the experience of gendered ageism can limit women’s career opportunities, skew their social interactions with colleagues, and thus impair their mental health,” they said in the report.

Among survey respondents who were working, those who felt their male colleagues were supportive reported higher life satisfaction, less stigma towards mental health conditions and greater willingness to seek support for mental health concerns.

Cost a concern

Around 63 per cent of women who had experienced a mental health concern said they had sought professional help, while 37 per cent had not.

But the likelihood of seeking help fell as respondents’ current distress rose. Those with greater distress were less likely to say they would seek help from formal sources such as a mental health professional, or from informal ones such as family and friends.

Highlighting this as a public health concern, the researchers said the findings pointed to the need to make mental health services seem approachable and within reach, and to normalise help-seeking in families, workplaces and communities.

A gap between women’s willingness to seek professional help and their awareness of female professional health services was shown in the survey.

About three in four respondents (75.9%) said they would be likely to seek help from a mental health professional if they had a concern. A smaller share (63.2%), would turn to their partners, while 56.9% would turn to friends.

But more than half, or 58.4%, were unaware of the female-specific services listed in the survey, including the Women’s Mental Wellness Service at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Emotional Health Service at National University Hospital. About 92.4% had never used any of them.

Cost was another concern for the women in the study.

About 53% regarded mental health services in Singapore as unaffordable or highly unaffordable; only 17% saw them as affordable or highly affordable.

In any case, when respondents were asked what kind of support for women’s mental health should be prioritised, they ranked peer support first, followed by counselling and workplace mental wellness policies.

They were also less inclined to use phone helplines than to turn to professionals. The researchers said this might point to concerns about trust or effectiveness, or to a preference for more relational support.

“Given the greater push (in Singapore) for more accessible mental health support options through phone and WhatsApp hotlines, such as the launch of Mindline.sg, it would be important to understand individuals’ perceived barriers to the use of such hotlines, in comparison to face-to-face help-seeking from mental health professionals,” the study said.

Most respondents did not report feeling ashamed about seeing a therapist. For example, 62.9 per cent disagreed that doing so would make them feel inadequate.

The researchers said the findings should not be taken as representative of all middle-aged women. About 74.4 per cent of respondents had a university degree or higher, compared with 42 per cent of women aged 40 to 59 in the wider population. Malay women were also under-represented.

SCWO said it will use the findings to inform its advocacy, partnerships and public education efforts.

Its president Seow Yian San said: “Too often, women in midlife are expected to seamlessly balance careers, caregiving and countless invisible responsibilities, yet the cumulative impact on their own well-being remains under-recognised.”