This World Mental Health Day, we've put together some of our best articles on mental health awareness, and developments in the field.
Awareness
24-hour helplines if you're struggling with mental health issues
Don't underestimate how much a chat with someone who's impartial and who cares can help.
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HK's first 24/7 online counselling service is ready fo you to Open Up about mental health
Open Up offers help for young people with emotional problems. This follows research on the use of social media by young people and the need to help them deal with mental health issues.
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How social media can negatively impact your mental health, and how to reduce that harm
Social media can cause mental exhaustion and negative emotions.
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Your social media community may not be the best thing for your mental health
Not everyone is enjoying the happy moments on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. For many users, these apps only bring stress and sadness.
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HK needs to remove the stigma from mental health issues
We need to start viewing mental illnesses in the same way we do physical illnesses.
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This new therapy uses VR to help those with mental health issues including depression and PTSD
Virtual reality isn’t used solely in gaming; VR therapy could help us overcome our fears, or even recover from past traumas.
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If you're #TalkingAboutIt, your mental health is less likely to suffer
Colleges in the United States are encouraging students to communicate and get the help they need
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Advice:
How to comfort someone who is going through a hard time
A clinical psychologist gives us some tips on how to help an unhappy friend.
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Don't let anxiety rule your life
While it's natural to have worries, if they start causing problems in our everyday lives, it may be time to tackle them head on.
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Boost your self-esteem
Being able to think and speak positively about yourself is not the same as boasting; mastering how to do this may just change your life for the better.
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It's time we talk about suicide
In a city where young people are under so much pressure which can lead to mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety, it's important to know how to keep each other safe.
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The quest for perfection may be leading to depression. Don't let it
Pursuing excellence can keep you motivated and hard-working, yet putting too much pressure can lead to stress and anxiety.
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Scale back on self-harm
There are many forms of self-harming behaviours, all of which might feel helpful at the time if you're in distress, however these behaviours are not the safest coping techniques. There are other, less dangerous ways to deal with difficult emotions.
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Self-acceptance, especially by LGBT youth, is crucial to mental well-being
Self-acceptance and developing a positive identity can be tricky, especially for LGBT teens; however, there is support out there to help you navigate this important life stage.
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Gratitude can have an incredible effect on improving mental health
Instead of looking to achieve or gain something, being thankful for what we already have can bring many mental health benefits.
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Grief and loss naturally affect your mental well-being, but with time it will heal
Not everyone appreciates that these invisible, emotional injuries need to recover, just like their physical counterparts do.
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Don't let negative thoughts rule your life.
With some simple exercises, you can focus on what's really behind unhelpful thoughts, and defuse worry, feel calmer and more in control.
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Personal experience
Bebe Rexha is a firm proponent of raising mental health awareness.
She might be at the peak of her career, but success didn’t come overnight for the singer.
Read her thoughts here
It took Mike Shinoda some time, but he now realises that mental health is as important as physical health.
He opens up about how making music helped him through one of the toughest periods of his life.
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HK star Janice Yan speaks candidly about what it took for her to recover from depression
Winning a TV singing contest put her in the limelight, but Janice tells us about the pressure stars face and how she recovered from a bad place.
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HK needs more survivor stories, and to take depression more seriously
For those with depression, it can feel like taking your own life is the only way out. But that’s never the case.
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