How social media influencers are helping end mental health stigma

Mental Health is one of the most difficult conversations to have today.

So much stigma surrounds mental health as many people believe the word itself is associated with persons who are mentally challenged or considered ‘mad’ in cultural contexts.

Because of this stigma, many who suffer from a wide range of mental illnesses such as stress or anxiety, do not come out to speak about their struggles.

Yet, mental illness is one of the most common illnesses affecting the global population today.

A number of individuals have been working to have mental health conversations normalized in society so that many people can get the help they need.

Among them are influential persons using their platforms to reach people with the right information.

One such individual is social media influencer Bravin Yuri who uses his Twitter platform to talk about mental health to his over 275,000 followers.

Yuri says the major driving force behind this is that he does not wish to see them go through what he did.

“I want to help other people get the help they need so that they don’t struggle the way I did,” he said.

Yuri has been struggling with a condition called phonophobia which he describes as the fear of sounds.

It started after a physical assault he experienced when still at the university that nearly made him lose his life.

“It’s weird but I always get watery eyes any time I think of even telling the story, so I don’t. Normal sounds like that of a door being closed too loudly or a balloon bursting really terrify me,” he said.

“I hate too much noise, especially in matatus. The University of Nairobi where I study became a nightmare because it was prone to demonstrations. The sound of guns and teargas canisters being fired always created hell for me,” he added.

Yuri was constantly anxious when he stepped out because he could not stand the noise.

He regrets never having consulted a counsellor sooner because he struggled with anxiety in silence for years.

Even now, he regrets it deeply and hopes that sharing his experiences with others can help lessen his anxiety.

“That is why I always create a platform where people are able to come and share their experiences and tell their stories to encourage others because you should not suffer in silence,” he said.

On Twitter, Yuri runs a programme called My Story Stori Yangu every Friday where people can talk about their mental health journeys and experiences, to lessen the stigma around it.

“We try to spread as much awareness as possible because there are so many cases of mental health. The stigma is even a bigger problem than mental health itself,” he said.

Maureen Waititu, a social media influencer who works with #Better4Kenya and a Lawyer, has also come out strongly as a mental health advocate.

Waititu, through her social media platforms, constantly talks about mental health in an effort to try and normalise the conversation.

“Mental illnesses have become very common in our societies. The World Health Organisation says that there are over 300 million cases of persons living with depression and in Kenya, over 1.9 million suffer from mental illnesses,” she said.

Having experienced challenges with her mental health in the past as well, she makes a point to talk about the importance of good mental health and how to achieve it.

“It is important for people to know that it is okay not to be okay,” she says.

Waititu was recently speaking at the Girl Generation Festival that was held in Athi River where she was encouraging young women who advocate for girls’ rights.

The festival’s aim was to help the young women open up about their mental struggles so that it does not become a burden to them and to their advocacy work.

She encouraged them to use their platforms of influence to also carry out advocacy on mental health so that the stigma around it can be taken away.

“First of all, you have to have your field of people who will listen to you and find the best place where they can listen to what you have to say,” she said.

“It could be a small Facebook page or group, a Whatsapp group or even that small community meeting you have every week or on the weekends. As long as you make your voice known and heard,” she added.

She said that a field or arena where you can get people to listen can be anywhere, as long as you are making value addition to your audience.

To advocate, she said, you need to tell a story that needs to be heard.

“Storytelling is a team affair. You cannot work alone. If you remember campaigns such as Black Lives Matter in the United States and My Dress My Choice here in Kenya, it took a collective effort,” she said.

One does not necessarily need a slogan or a catchy hashtag on social media.

Waititu advises that you only need to come up with something that you believe in and stick to it.

With advocating for something strongly, there are always challenges especially push-back from people who do not share the same opinion or belief as you.

Waititu said that you should be ready for the backlash that may arise because of advocating what you believe in.

“It is okay to not play it safe when talking about mental health because remember, you are doing it for the good of other people. As much as it can get messy on social media, do not be discouraged from getting your message across and telling the truth,” she said.

She added that influencers should not be afraid of sparking a movement and being remembered for something that impacts people’s lives.

“However, do not chase the cool or clout. As influencers, we have a moral obligation to the people who follow us and those who listen to us so we should not mislead them in any way,” she said.

By normalizing the conversation on mental health, we can make it easier for the government to make it a health priority for all Kenyans.