Yang Mei

yangmei_szdaily@163.com

A day of activities took place on October 16 at the Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada (SCCSC) to mark Global Mental Health Day, which is observed worldwide each year on October 10 and has now been a tradition at the school for the ninth year in a row.

This year’s theme was suicide awareness and the slogan was “You Matter.” The goal was to help raise awareness among students about suicide prevention as well as to help them focus on their own value and remind them that everyone is unique and irreplaceable.

The Funducation Fair was one of the highlights of the day and featured interactive booths and activities including information booths, a “swag sale,” a true-or-false game, stress putty and the “Suicide Awareness Is Growing” board where students could share what they have learned about mental health and suicide prevention.

One of the most popular activities at the Funducation Fair was a “Stress Buster” game in which students could buy water balloons to throw at their favorite teachers to release stress while also raising funds. All the proceeds will go to a local charity called SpringCare to support people with PTSD and related psychological trauma.

At the “swag sale” booth, another fundraising activity, students bought T-shirts, rubber wristbands, snacks and succulent plants to offer their support.

Jennifer Kerns, clinical supervisor of the Personal Development Center (PDC) at SCCSC, told the Shenzhen Daily that the event aimed at involving more students and encouraging them to talk more on the subject of suicide awareness.

“The topic of suicide should not be a secret. We want to raise students’ awareness on the issue and get counseling if necessary,” she said.

Zhang Bozhi, a high school senior, said that it’s important to talk openly about mental health problems and that he was happy to take part in the event each year to help people with mental health issues.

Other activities included a hip-pop club performance, “Peer Buddies” mental health class, the “Recharging Fair,” and a movie. Students had a fun day and through this event learned about suicide prevention. The PDC will continue their school-wide work including mental health services, education and advocacy.