Beyond The Label returns from Sep 17 to Oct 12 to combat stigma surrounding mental health issues

With a goal of addressing stigma, empowering youths and promoting community support for people with mental health conditions, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) has launched the fourth edition of its Beyond The Label (BTL) initiative.

The BTL initiative is a public education movement that focuses on addressing stigma targeting parents and youths. 

Two new initiatives – the BTL #StopTheStigma and BTL Plug & Play toolkit – have also been introduced at the latest edition of the BTL. 

The #StopTheStigma social activation aims to fight the stigma surrounding mental health, while the BTL Plug & Play toolkit empowers youths and allows them to begin their anti-stigma initiatives. 

Using the hashtag #StopTheStigma, youths can join the movement by sharing their lived experiences or how they have supported their loved ones on their mental health journeys.

To rally support from the community, they can also tag their friends to do the same to minimise the stigma discouraging those with mental illness from seeking help.

This year’s BTL movement also strengthens the importance of seeking help and advocating for mental health awareness through a variety of virtual programmes and initiatives. 

The campaign’s signature outreach event, BTL Fest, will provide youths the opportunity to voice out their perspectives in various workshops and classes. Through masterclasses and dialogue sessions, friends and family can also learn how to better support their loved ones suffering from mental health conditions. 

The BTL Fest will run from Sep 17 to Oct 12. 

In addition, a study by NCSS found that children and youth who live with mental health conditions showed significantly lower Quality Of Life (QOL) scores compared to their peers in many aspects of their well-being. 

Among the many factors affecting one’s overall well-being, psychological well-being was found to be one of the most important factors affecting those with mental health issues. 

“The study shows that family dynamics and mental well-being are important factors for children and youth’s quality of life. For parents, it is even more critical to build strong foundations and relationships with their children at a young age.”

“This would help them open up and share their struggles and challenges and get the support and care they need,” said Parliamentary Secretary Mr Eric Chua.

You can find out more about the BTL Fest here or via its Facebook and Instagram page. 

If you are looking for more mental well-being resources, check out Youthopia’s resource page with everything from mental health self-assessments to tips for coping with challenging seasons in life.