How to be an ally in conversations about mental health

Author: Steph Ng, HKU and Mind HK PhD Candidate

If you have ever shared a personal mental health experience with someone, you may have noticed yourself feeling ashamed, guilty, or embarrassed. Alternatively, you may have found yourself on the receiving end of a mental health story, and found yourself feeling uncomfortable, or at a loss for words.

These are all manifestations of mental health stigma, which are negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors directed toward people who are experiencing a mental health condition. Although the topic of mental health has been pushed to the forefront of public attention in recent years particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, conversations about mental health continue to be shrouded by stigma in the Hong Kong community. The widespread and deeply-entrenched nature of these stigmatizing beliefs can feel discouraging, and it can feel like there is nothing we can really do to create meaningful change.

However, the research on anti-stigma efforts globally has been hopeful, showing that change is possible — but that creating such change is a collective effort. Through adjusting the ways that we engage in conversations about mental health, we can play an important role in rewriting the societal narrative about these issues.

In the first part of this blog post, we explore what it means to be an ally in conversations about mental health, and discuss a few key reasons why allyship is important in shaping empowering narratives about these issues. Then, in the second part of this post, we touch more specifically on concrete ways to be an ally in conversations about eating disorders, in anticipation of Eating Disorders Awareness Week coming up at the end of February.

Photo by Chang Duong on Unsplash

What does it mean to be an ally in conversations about mental health?

Before we move onto our discussion of why allyship is important, let’s define what a mental health ally is. First and foremost, a mental health ally is someone who intentionally engages in learning more about mental health issues. So, if you are reading this article, you have already taken an important and crucial first step!

In addition to learning about mental health issues, mental health allies also explore ways to advocate for greater acceptance and compassion toward people who are struggling with their mental health. These efforts can occur in a more personal capacity (e.g., learning to support a loved one who is struggling) or a more public capacity (e.g., sharing informational posts on social media).

Why mental health allyship is important

1. Stigmatising assumptions about mental health can significantly affect the quality of life of people experiencing mental health problems. Research suggests that stigma can lead to negative physical and mental health outcomes for those with mental health problems, , , and discourage people from seeking the help they need. , , Choosing to be a mental health ally, and taking intentional action to challenge stigma can significantly improve the wellbeing of individuals who are struggling.
2. Stigma can silence the voices of those who are experiencing mental health problems. Negative perceptions of people with mental health problems means that voices of those with lived-experience are often dismissed or invalidated. By choosing to be an ally, you are sending the message that speaking up about mental health is not reserved for individuals who are struggling. You are saying loud and clear: mental health is an everyone issue.
3. Shifting stigmatising attitudes about mental health is beneficial for everyone in our community. There is a common misconception that mental health advocacy only enhances the wellbeing of individuals who are struggling with their mental health. However, stigmatizing attitudes about mental health can hurt us in less noticeable ways, manifesting in the forms of telling ourselves that we are “too busy” to take breaks even when we are on the brink of burnout, or feeling ashamed of expressing negative emotions for fear of being a ‘burden’. Normalizing conversations about mental health means that more of us can feel less afraid of prioritizing our mental health, and challenge societal notions that link self-care with being ‘weak’ or ‘lazy’.

Tips for being an ally in shaping narratives about eating disorders

1. Educate yourself about the ways that people with lived-experience narrate their stories. Watching videos or reading posts shared on social media by people with lived-experience can be a great place to start. For example, some people describe themselves as “struggling” with an eating disorder, while others prefer “living with” an eating disorder. Exposing yourself to the different terms used to describe lived-experience can help you explore ways to contribute to more empowering narratives of these conditions. If you have a loved one who is willing to share their experiences with you, you can also start a conversation with them about how they prefer their story to be told.
2. Refrain from highlighting specific symptoms and behaviors to define ‘illness’ and ‘recovery’. A common way of representing experiences with eating disorders is to show ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, or to explicitly state numbers surrounding weight and calorie counts. While using these strategies may be effective at capturing attention, it ultimately serves to perpetuate ideas that individuals need to meet certain criteria (appearance or behavior-wise) in order to be ‘sick enough’ to deserve help, or to be considered ‘truly recovered’. Instead, it is helpful to emphasise that (1) eating disorders do not discriminate, and can affect anyone of any demographic group, and (2) that eating disorders do not have a ‘look’, and can present themselves in varying degrees of severity and various types of symptoms across different individuals.
3. Use person-centered language. Instead of using the terms “anorexic” or “bulimic”, use “the person with anorexia” or “the person with bulimia”. Linguistic shifts like these send the message that the person you are describing is not defined by their illness, and that this is simply one of the labels that characterise their experience.

The bottom line: your voice matters.

It is true that mental health stigma continues to be a pressing issue in our community. But we hope that after reading this blog post, you can start to recognise the immense change-making capacity you have as a mental health ally. Creating a more inclusive and compassionate environment that nurtures positive mental health for everyone is an exciting task that we all get to strive toward, together.

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This article is informative only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Read more:

Eating Disorders in Hong Kong: https://medium.com/mindhk/eating-disorders-in-hong-kong-6035f3aa56c0

COVID and emotional eating: https://medium.com/mindhk/covid-and-emotional-eating-c4e6f0c57d0e

Managing eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-a-to-z/covid-19/managing-eating-disorders-during-covid-19/

Useful links:

‘More Than a Label’ — Mind HK’s antistigma campaign: www.morethanalabelhk.com

For more information on Eating disorders: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-a-to-z/eating-disorders/about-eating-problems/

Youth resources: Eating and body image disorders for young people: https://www.coolmindshk.com/en/resource/eating-body-image-disorders-young-people/

Hong Kong Eating Disorders Association Limited: http://www.heda-hk.org/

For a list of emergency contacts, please visit: www.mind.org.hk/find-help-now/

For other local mental health services, please visit our Community Directory: www.mind.org.hk/community-directory/

For more information on mental health in Hong Kong, please visit: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-in-hong-kong/

For more information on seeking help in Hong Kong, please visit: https://www.mind.org.hk/getting-help/

Questions? Email the team at media@mind.org.hk.