10 Tips for Mental Health Awareness

There are so many misconceptions around mental health struggles, suicide, and suicide ideation. The way society treats mental health also adds a layer of shame, making it even more difficult for people that are struggling to reach out for help when they need it the most.

In this blog I want to share 10 tips on how to Start the Conversation with people who are encountering challenges in mental health, thinking of or impacted by suicide. Instead of walking away from people whose behaviour changes, we check in, ask if they need help, and Start a Conversation, we could alleviate their burden and perhaps even prevent suicidal thoughts in the people we care about.

10 Tips for Mental Health Awareness

#1: Direct Approach

• It's crucial to directly ask if someone is having a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide.
• Avoid vague questions; a clear and direct approach ensures the person understands the seriousness of the conversation.

#2: Empathy over Sympathy

• Show genuine care and connection.
• Empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of another, which is more effective than simply feeling sorry for them.

#3: Safe Environment

• Choose a safe and private place for the conversation where both you and the person feel secure and comfortable.

#4: Be Prepared for Emotions

• Understand that it's normal for you to feel a range of emotions when discussing suicide.
• Acknowledge these feelings but focus on the person in distress.
• Ensure you make it safe for yourself to process your own emotions later.

#5: Listen Actively

• Once the conversation starts, listen more than you speak.
• Allow the person to express themselves without interruption or judgement.

#6: Silence is Okay

• Be comfortable with silence.?
• It gives the person time to process their thoughts and feelings and encourages them to continue talking.

#7: Offer Support

• Let the person know you care and are there to support them.?
• Often your presence alone is support enough.

#8: Professional Help

• It is essential to seek professional help and offer to assist in finding a suitable mental health professional if and when needed.?
• Do not try to handle this purely on your own as this is a very serious matter that needs trained professionals to get involved as soon as possible.

#9: Self-Care and Boundaries

• Ensure you maintain your own boundaries.
• Supporting someone in distress can be emotionally taxing, so it's important to look after your own safety and mental health by making time for self care.

#10: Confidentiality with Limits

• While maintaining confidentiality is important, if someone is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others, it is necessary to break confidentiality to ensure their safety.

Personal Experience

Suicide comes in many forms - I have lost a close friends, colleagues, and family. I have trained as a Mental Heath First Aider and have engaged in many conversations and interventions around suicide ideation.

When having those interactions, I have found it important to create a safe space to have them talk through the emotions that come up and, most importantly, I have ensured that they know how to ask for help and where to get the help needed.

When the topic of suicide was raised before I became more educated, especially when talking with my children, I panicked and was terrified: my thoughts went to the impact on me if something happened to them. I think I even used the words like “Mummy couldn’t live without you” which looking back probably wasn’t the way to proceed.

The situation got worse, so I had to educate myself. I reached out to a Clinical Psychologist that I trusted and specialised in teen mental health issues. I also took the Certified Mental Health First Aider training.

The most important lesson I learned was to listen and be present, allowing people?to share what they were feeling and not to burden them with my own feelings at that time as it can cause the conversation to stop and struggle to be internalised.

Local Context

On World Suicide Prevention Day, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong announced the city’s latest suicide statistics. The press release revealed startling findings, such as:

• A rise in teenage suicide numbers: In 2023, 16 girls below the age of 15 died by suicide, compared to two the year before. For boys of the same age group, eight died by suicide in 2023 compared to five in 2022. Research centre director Paul Yip links this to problems at home or school.

• The suicide rate for females aged 60 and above has dropped from 15.8 in 2022 to 11.7 in 2024. The reverse has happened for males of the same age group, with suicide rates rising from 25.6 to 28.1 in the same period.?

Justin Leung, programme manager of NGO Suicide Prevention Services, says “Elderly men, both younger and older, tend not to actively participate in community activities or seek help. We should pay more attention to the needs of the elderly and encourage them to seek help proactively when they are emotionally distressed.”

Source: The Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention

Recommended Resources (Hong Kong-specific)

Finding the right resource for you and your loved ones can be daunting, especially if you’ve never had to access professional support. If you’re in Hong Kong, Mental Health Trainer Shirralee Sisson has prepared a list of resources to help you identify what kind of support you need and how you can connect with the right trained medical professional or hospital to meet your needs:

• Brene Brown on Empathy

3 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

• Support groups

The New Normal HK - https://linktr.ee/TNNHongKong

Talk - https://www.talkhongkong.org/meetings/

MoveMen! WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ear7rP97Mt8AFOWIAj5vbO

More details available on https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/movemenhk/ and https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/movemenhk_movemen-year-1-infographic-activity-7230469360623009792-aUK1?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

• Resource lists

Mind HK: finding help - https://www.mind.org.hk/find-help-now/ ????

Mind HK: Community Directory https://www.mind.org.hk/community-directory/

Centre for Suicide Research & Prevention: Suicide Prevention Resources? https://csrp.hku.hk/getting-help/

• Services

Level Minds (pilot scheme for under 25) https://www.levelmind.hk/

Headwind Psychiatry - https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8AnA4YnCgqhUyup

“headwind” is a free online service launched by the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Hong Kong. Once you have left them your contact (real name not needed), they will give you a video or phone call (for about 15 to 30 minutes) as soon as possible to understand your current condition.

Depending on your needs — and if you wish —they can arrange a simple, free of charge, and highly personalised professional consultation for you with a psychiatrist on their team.

Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness? (ICCMW) one in each HK district

https://www.swd.gov.hk/storage/asset/section/695/en/List_of_24_ICCMWs_092022.pdf

• Also at any time the 24 hour Accident & Emergency Department at local hospitals across Hong Kong.

Conclusion

There is a level of trust needed to Start the Conversation and help those that are struggling to navigate these situations. Reach out to loved ones when you notice a change in their behaviour or that you suspect may be are thinking of or impacted by suicidal thoughts, and encourage them to seek support from mental health professionals. Also, if you also know friends who have been dealing with bereavement or suicide: check in on them to ensure they are getting the support they need from mental health professionals.

Sources

1. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3279036/hong-kong-schools-need-more-diagnostic-help-under-suicide-prevention-system-experts-say
2. https://hongkongfp.com/2024/09/11/sharp-rise-in-suicide-rates-among-teen-girls-in-hong-kong-study-finds/
3. https://www.un.org/en/healthy-workforce/world-mental-health-day