Mental health content on social media has been gaining traction as content creators argue for normalising mental health issues and breaking the stigma surrounding the topic.

       On TikTok, the tags #MentalHealth and #MentalHealthAwareness have almost 25 million videos to date globally.

       The Straits Times spoke to five local influencers who use their voice on the platform to spark conversations around mental health topics to find out why they advocate for mental health and how they are making an impact:

       TikTok handle: @fauziazzhar

       Number of TikTok followers: 98.2k

       Real name: Fauzi Azzhar

       Age: 36

       Mental health focus: Drug recovery and dealing with societal pressures

       Mr Fauzi Azzhar, a full-time content creator and local comedian, recently opened up about his mental health journey on local podcasts This Iz Podcast and The Wello Show.

       He talked about his recovery from drug use, dealing with online bullying, toxic relationships at home and in the workplace, and childhood trauma.

       In a departure from his usual “clown-tent”, or comedic content, he also started posting videos about his experience battling drug addiction while giving advice to others who are struggling with mental health.

       For about 10 years, Mr Fauzi was a drug user who faced struggles in his life.

       In 2023, cyber bullying drove him to heavier drug use.

       He was arrested in June 2023 and underwent rehabilitation for six months. He then received professional help and was diagnosed with depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

       “Imagine going to a market, and you hear a lot of voices that are mean to you. Some even want to hurt you, and it’s scary,” said Mr Fauzi, who used to hear voices for over three months before he was prescribed medication.

       He said he grew up in rough living conditions and had to fend for himself. He constantly compared himself with others, which caused negative thoughts.

       He said he felt much better after going for therapy and taking medication for his condition, which is why he wanted to address the stigma surrounding mental health institutions and professional help, so that others can get treated without feeling ashamed.

       He learnt in therapy that he had been trying to deal with his negative emotions by making comedy videos about the difficult situations he was facing, which worsened his mental health.

       “It’s like sweeping it under a rug. So when something triggers you emotionally, you’ll go reckless,” he said.

       Mr Fauzi occasionally films himself talking to the camera, reflecting on past trauma and his mental health journey. He shares how he improved his mental health by setting boundaries and inspiring others to look after themselves and seek help when needed.

       TikTok handle: @lisaintann

       Number of TikTok followers: 32.1k

       Real name: Chan Lisa Nur Intan

       Age: 24

       Mental health focus: Depression, attempted suicide and mental health support from parents

       At 19, Ms Chan Lisa Nur Intan saw herself as the “worst student in class”.

       She struggled as a polytechnic student. Her depression, made worse by toxic relationships, led to a suicide attempt.

       Ms Chan, 24, started creating mental health content on TikTok in September 2022. Her goal: Prevent other students from attempting suicide.

       Parents started commenting on her videos, which made her notice that they tended to blame themselves when their children went through similar mental health challenges, and did not know how to help them.

       This reminded her of the difficulties she had communicating with her parents, who often blamed each other, wondering what went wrong with her.

       Ms Chan said: “I couldn’t even understand myself, so why would I expect them to understand me?”

       To encourage people to communicate with their parents, she has been making videos with her dad for almost two years, sharing their perspectives on her attempted suicide and recovery from depression.

       “Because of my dad, I felt stronger about spreading my story and message: Please, don’t give up,” she said.

       Ms Chan, who is now a marketing and strategy manager at news portal AsiaOne, plans to make content about how she managed to thrive in her job, despite having a mental health history.

       TikTok handle: @chillbynette

       Number of TikTok followers: 7.2k

       Real name: Jeannette Qhek

       Age: 30

       Mental health focus: Mind, body, spirit healing and breaking down therapy myths

       Ms Jeannette Qhek is a psychotherapist and counsellor who runs social media accounts and a wellness space, Chill By Nette, that provides counselling services and wellness workshops.

       Four years ago, Ms Qhek was diagnosed with a skin condition that affected her mentally and emotionally, as well as physically.

       “It was physically unbearable,” she said. “I had to get injections to calm the itch down and struggled to concentrate at work.”

       Her condition forced her to leave her corporate job back in 2021.

       She started creating podcasts and social media content sharing her recovery journey, which helped her connect with others experiencing similar emotional struggles.

       As her content reached more people, she discovered a passion for mental health, which led her to pursue a postgraduate diploma in positive psychology and mindfulness and a master’s degree in counselling.

       She founded Chill By Nette in May 2021.

       Today, she uses her account not only to raise mental health awareness but also to share professional advice as a psychotherapist and counsellor about how people can benefit from therapy.

       Ms Qhek encourages her viewers to look beyond coping tips or strategies. She educates viewers on learning to face difficult feelings and behaviours in order to heal from past experiences.

       She said: “Healing then becomes less about fighting ourselves and more about embracing who we truly are.”

       In her series of videos Therapy Unpacked, Ms Qhek breaks down common myths on therapy and encourages viewers to not be intimidated by it.

       She has tackled the common misconception that therapy is only for those facing serious problems, telling her viewers that it is also for those who would simply like to get to know themselves better.

       TikTok handle: @itsalyssalie

       Number of TikTok followers: 49k

       Real name: Alyssa Lie

       Age: 29

       Mental health focus: Social anxiety and self-sabotage

       Ms Alyssa Lie’s skits and parodies on TikTok went viral in 2022, with the comment sections flooded by people who loved her bright energy.

       But some questioned whether she was putting on a front. That was when she opened up about her struggles with self-sabotage and social anxiety, especially as a full-time music artist and digital influencer.

       Instead of giving advice about coping theories or techniques, Ms Lie talks about hitting her milestones to inspire others to achieve theirs. Earlier in 2024, her video on how she overcame social anxiety reached over 900k views.

       She recently started a 30-day TikTok series called Unmasking Me, sharing daily anecdotes and lessons learnt.

       For instance, in her first video of the series, she talks about how she uses social media to counter her fear about how others might perceive her. She shares that she is working on being comfortable showing her authentic herself on social media with no filters or fancy outfits.

       “I care a lot about my content being true to who I am. As I’m open to sharing what I’ve been through and overcome, I encourage others to do the same,” she said.

       TikTok handle: @leonaziyan

       Number of TikTok followers: 6.6k

       Real name: Leona Ziyan

       Age: 27

       Mental health focus: Mental wellness and self-development

       “I’m just trying to be the person I needed when I was younger,” said Ms Leona Ziyan, an executive assistant at Deep Human, a leadership and personal development company.

       She is also a mental wellness advocate who shares her own stories to make others feel less alone.

       Ms Leona said she had anxiety attacks almost every day since she was seven years old. In primary school, she had difficulty getting used to the school environment.

       “No one taught seven-year-old Leona how to regulate herself. I was the ‘crybaby’, and adults would punish and threaten to slap me if I didn’t stop crying,” she said.

       At 17, her family dealt with bankruptcy and almost lost their home. At 20, she had to take care of her grandma, who had dementia and cancer. The pressures she faced led her to start smoking, drinking and getting into toxic relationships.

       “It was to escape or mask the deep pain I was facing at home. Nothing was more painful than the truth of my reality,” she said.

       Ms Leona began producing self-development content to help others improve their mindset and face their fears. She started posting mental health content more frequently after hearing people dismiss Gen Z’s struggles as “laziness”.

       Ms Leona said she aims to foster a “brave space” within her platform, where she encourages young people to be proactive in addressing mental health issues by seeking help and practising self-regulation techniques.

       “We can become the generation that creates a legacy of a more balanced world,” said Ms Leona.