Ann Pearce talks to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) about losing her son, Jamie; that it’s okay to not be okay; how we can encourage people to talk about feelings, listen attentively to others, and show we care by doing something positive.
Weez Week is about raising youth mental health awareness in Hong Kong through a range of initiatives including The Weez Wall of Hope, sharing positive thoughts and images on social media, and dispelling myths and providing facts surrounding suicide. Ann’s story is about losing her son Jamie to suicide, knowing what she knows now, and […]
As part of Weez Week, The Weez Project has released some myths and facts surrounding suicide. Suicide is an emotive and divisive subject. It is also highly complex with multiple factors usually at play, e.g. biological, psychological, life experiences, relationships and more. If we are to help people cope with emotional or difficult feelings, we […]
Thanks to UK Northern Rail for allowing us to show this video depicting poet laureate Simon Armitage’s poem, All Right? This time of year can be a particularly lonely time. If you’re worried about someone, don’t forget to ask them if they are all right. It can make all the difference. Video of the poem […]
Learned optimism is a way of re-training the brain to think differently and the ability to see the possibilities of good ahead. No matter who you are or circumstance, anyone can learn the skills to become a more optimistic person in time. For example, if someone has lost a close relationship, instead of putting themselves […]
May was a sad, tragic month for Hong Kong with more young people taking their own lives. There remains much more to be done to prevent these totally unnecessary and avoidable deaths. We need greater joined up thinking within government, for them to reach out to NGOs, academia and other centres of excellence to keep […]
Christmas is the season for tinsel, cheer and warmth, a time for sharing with friends and family. At this time, it’s important to be aware that there are some who may be finding it hard to feel involved and part of he same happiness because of anxiety, insecurity or other issues. In protecting themselves and […]
The digital world and its multiple social media channels place increasing pressure on teenagers to have a presence online. It’s an open debate as to whether there is a causal link between social media use and mental health. With the number of likes a post generates becoming a proxy for popularity, teens inevitably compare […]
The Chief Executive’s policy address fell on World Mental Health Day. That could have been an opportunity to talk openly about the problems faced by people struggling with their mental well-being, to show compassion. It could also have provided a stage to outline practical policy measures to help alleviate the endemic under provision in our […]
Read the Weez Project’s letter to the SCMP, printed as an opinion piece, and in response to their article on suicide prevention. Preventing youth suicide takes awareness and hope, more than self-control.