Singapore Schools Study Links Achievement to Girls’ Stress
New Research Explores Well-being in High-Pressure Academic Environments
A comprehensive study is launching in Singapore to investigate the impact of high academic expectations on the mental health of teenage girls. Researchers aim to determine if success in school correlates with increased stress and behavioral challenges.
Investigating the Link Between Success and Stress
The National Institute of Education (NIE) will recruit 4,200 secondary school students from three all-girls schools and one co-educational institution. Dr. Jacqueline Lee Tilley, the study’s lead investigator, explained that the inclusion of a co-ed school allows for a comparative analysis of boys’ experiences.
The three-year project, running from 2025 to 2028, marks the first in Singapore to specifically examine factors influencing the behavior of girls in academically rigorous schools – defined as those with consistently strong performance in national exams and extracurriculars. Dr. Tilley intentionally withheld the schools’ identities, though reports indicate Methodist Girls’ School is among them.
Participants will complete annual 45-minute online surveys throughout their secondary school years, with potential invitations for follow-up studies. The surveys will focus on well-being, academic performance, family dynamics, and perceptions of the school environment.
Inspired by US Research on High-Achieving Communities
The study draws inspiration from the work of Dr. Suniya Luthar, a psychology professor at Arizona State University, whose 1990s research revealed surprisingly high rates of substance use and depression among students in affluent, high-achieving US communities. Dr. Luthar found that these youth experienced anxiety and depression at six to seven times the national average.
“What she noticed was that there was a surprising elevated rate of substance use and depression in these youth, compared to what one would expect for national norms.”
—Dr. Jacqueline Lee Tilley, NIE
This research shifted the focus to recognizing high-achieving schools as potentially high-risk environments. According to a 2023 report by the American Psychological Association, rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents have continued to rise, with nearly 40% reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. APA Report (2023)
Dr. Tilley previously conducted a smaller study in Hong Kong, which mirrored these trends, prompting the need for a larger-scale investigation within the Singaporean context. She observed that girls in Hong Kong exhibited higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to their male counterparts.
Gender Differences and External Pressures
Mr. Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, co-founder of the non-profit Impart, noted that girls often experience greater self-esteem fluctuations during adolescence, making them more vulnerable to stress. He also observed that girls tend to internalize their struggles, while boys are more likely to externalize them through outward behaviors.
Mr. Narasimman has worked with high-achieving students who cycle between intense study periods and risky behaviors as a means of coping with pressure. These behaviors include binge-drinking and unprotected sex, often stemming from burnout and depression.
“In these schools, there is a lot more expectation… But some of it is not from parents. There is a lot of self-expectation among youth, with what they feel they need to be doing.”
—Mr. Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, Impart
Mr. Narasimman emphasized the importance of tiered support systems, beyond simply providing mental health information, including mentorship and community-based activities that don’t solely focus on discussing mental health symptoms.
The NIE study will also gather perspectives from parents, teachers, school leaders, and counselors through surveys, interviews, and daily diaries, aiming to identify any discrepancies between adult and student viewpoints.
