In a bid to combat the ever-increasing mental health issues plaguing many South Africans, a panel discussion was held at the Mall of Africa, Waterfall City.
The October 12 mental health series featured panelists such as Yfm’s morning breakfast show host Nia Brown, human rights activist Pabi Mbedzi, Palesa Tembe, Nina Hastie, Anele Siswana, Pearl Ntshehi and Ursula Mariani.
Hosted by The Foschini Group (TFG), the FIX in-store panel discussion focused on the societal pressures that contribute to mental health issues in South Africa.
The goal was to get an intergenerational perspective on the story titled “Being Your Authentic, Perfectly Imperfect Self.”
Mariani said the session went well for her and exceeded her expectations. “Sometimes it’s not necessarily about numbers but about intention. It’s necessary to have this kind of conversation. Let’s continue talking because the work is far from finished. As long as people are suffering from mental health issues, the conversation will not be over,” Mariani said.
One in six people in South Africa suffer from anxiety, depression or substance abuse.
TFG’s Pearl Msweli said the focus was more on #dowhatsright. “Mental health is still a stigmatized subject. We are working to raise awareness of how common it is and where and how to get help. This initiative aims to help each other by discussing, sharing experiences, solutions and building the nation in a positive way,” Msweli said.
She concluded that since the focus of October was mental health awareness, they explored topics such as managing anxiety and coping mechanisms.
The theme of the conference was: “It’s OK not to be OK.”
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