Reappraising consent: conducting ethical psychiatric research in Singapore

Singapore is legally restrictive when it comes to research involving minors. The age of majority is 21 and parental consent is required for participation in medical research. This article explores the age of majority and the issues related to obtaining consent for research in Singapore, focusing on "young adults" (17-21 years), using an example of a translational and clinical research project called the Longitudinal Youth at Risk Study (LYRIKS). It describes the unique legal and social conditions pertaining to the age of majority in Singapore, before presenting an argument for consideration as to whether the age of consent to participate in research should be reviewed. It concludes that rather than a set of doctrinaire rules for the age of participation in research, there should be an assessment of the kind of tasks that minors can assume themselves in respect to a specific project, and the degree of parental involvement.