Author: guanyinmiao

A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting. Carlos Castaneda.
Woman holding a transparent umbrella

“3 in 5 Singaporeans fearful of contracting Wuhan virus”: The limits of public surveys and perceptions

Posted on by guanyinmiao

Even though the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has understandably stoked anxieties in Singapore, the lack of scientific knowledge about the SARS-like virus and its rapid spread has been matched – in this country – by a lack of knowledge about how the public perceives, understands, and communicates about the virus as well as the (desired) government response. Opinion surveys may provide some descriptive information, yet in the context of present and future public health emergencies we ought to test the extent to which Singaporeans possess factual information, to identify how they receive and share information, and to ultimately disseminate important advisories (and stem misinformation) more effectively.

Mental health

Move beyond peer support to tackle mental health issues

Posted on by guanyinmiao

Peer support alone is not the panacea to mental health issues among young Singaporeans. In fact, if the panel “has [already] received feedback that the waiting time for young people to see a counsellor can be very long, as there are not enough counsellors” (ST, Jan. 28), then instead of focusing disproportionately on building peer support networks on the ground per se the more impactful and sustainable solutions should revolve around increasing the number of trained counsellors or therapists in Singapore.

Comfort room signage

Singapore’s gender pay gap persists, but has the gap narrowed or grown?

Posted on by guanyinmiao

A study by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and National University of Singapore economist Jessica Pan found that women in Singapore still earn less than men, but whereas ST went with the headline “Singapore women earn 6% less than men, but gap has narrowed: Study” (ST, Jan. 9) (emphasis mine), TODAY chose “MOM’s first nationwide study shows gap growing slightly between median wages of men and women” (TODAY, Jan. 10) (emphasis mine). The difference, related to the two measurement methods, was that ST compared the gap in adjusted median pay (8.8 per cent in 2002 and six in 2018) while TODAY compared the gap in unadjusted median pay (16 per cent in 2002 and 16.3 in 2018).