# data[].attributes.body
Behaviors, traits, life-style choices and characteristics that make us different and same at the same time and actively interact with each other all the time

# data[].attributes.body
There are countries with great systems for mental health wellbeing. Others should follow and there should be knowledge transfer so we can provide best services for everyone in every country

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Depending on an individual's socioeconomic situation, their access to health is not the same, with intersectionality and cumulative factors exponentially worsening the phenomenon. The right to health is a human right, and services should be available for everyone equally. This is the objective to work towards

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The official definition of mental health is way broader than I initially thought, includes additional aspects other than just the internal well-being, and everyone interprets the topic differently. We had some things we felt were missing from it, so it’s good to look at it from a wider perspective.

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Identifying important aspects of a specific case/situation and assessing them according to our interest/goal

# data[].attributes.body
Mental health is a mixture of the way you think, feel, communicate(or not) with others, handle stress and recover from it. It defines your ability to interact with people, connect with them. Mental health is changing over the time based on your sleep routine, trauma, loneliness, amount of stress, physical activity.

# data[].attributes.body
Since we established that for helping others it's important we feel well ourselves.

So we need to support ourselves and our other volunteers first and make sure there is a (structured) support system with HR practices we can rely on!

And in all cases that we encounter: one's own safety comes first and it's okay to step back and ask someone else for support as well.

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social, economic, cultural and environmental conditions that can influence an individual’s mental well being.

# data[].attributes.body
Mental Health is a state of overall wellbeing wherein the mind has the power or ability to handle the general pressure or stress and works effectively, effectively and contributes to the society.

in short: As Soul is to the Body, Mental Health is to the Overall Well-Being.

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Mental health according to the World Health Organization is the state of well-being in which individuals can cope with normal daily life stressors, realise their own potential and work towards their goals and community. The definition of mental health can be very complex and different for every individual.

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Stigmas and stereotypes present in the community- ie about minorities, general attitude towards talking about mental health, ideologies in the community, languages spoken, amount of connections

# data[].attributes.body
Apart from learning what mental health is, another valuable information is how mental health can be interpreted. There are different ways of looking at mental health and those perspectives are biomedical, psychological, public health and social.

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A (mental) health service can be objectively evaluated following the AAAQ framework (Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, Quality)

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Is any dedicated and systematic kind of help/service/advocacy provided to young peoples' life

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Mental health is how you think, feel and ability to handle life challenges of everyday life

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Mental health is the general well-being of an individual's psyche in relation to his inner self, society and external factors

# data[].attributes.body
Social norms, stigma, stereotypes and general attitude surrounding a specific subject/person/group of people

# data[].attributes.body
The WHO definition of Mental Health is highly reflective of the capitalistic environment in which it was created.

Mental Health is characterized and conditioned by several layers from the individual level to the interpersonal, with influence from organizations, communities, policies and society.

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mental health needs of a population or a community and also the main factors that influence those needs

# data[].attributes.body
Youth work is all work (not only professional) that is either by or for young people, where they can participate voluntarily. We should validate ourselves more as youth workers and promote this idea to organisations to improve the recognition of our work!

# data[].attributes.body
I’ve always been a bit reluctant to consider myself a youth worker. Thanks to this session, I can finally see myself as one, because I’ve truly realised the work we do and the qualities we have as volunteers.

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How is mental health addressed in different countries

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How is mental health addressed in different countries

# data[].attributes.body
To say the least mental health is seen and addressed quite differently in each country. Where countries like Sweden and Germany both have concrete options that are offered at a institutional level and multiple initiatives to support mental health. On the contrary there are some countries that dont have the same approaches rather something based on the student based initiatives and quite limited institutional reaches.

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Through mental health fair I realized that even if I thought we had limited opportunities in my country, it’s worth to research. Even one or two organizations that offer support is a good base to start working with. And maybe after we find opportunities that weren’t laying on a plain sight.

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We are as volunteers, yes we’re trying to help to int. students or our friends, our community but we shouldn’t forget ourselves, our health. if we’ forget we can’t be able to help others, not just to ourselves.

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systemic/preventable suffering that gets created as a result of when social/economic/political etc inequalities determine who is denied the conditions needed for mental wellbeing

# data[].attributes.body
It is important for the Mental Health organisation in any country/city to be as per the given AAAQ framework which determines its Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality. The better it fits the framework, the more effective and efficient it can be utilised by the needy ones.

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Mental health is something everyone has and the state of it is determined by social, physical, structural and individual factors. The state of mental health determines the interactions with one's community, ability to to handle everyday life and overall well-being.

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The complicated life of LGBTQ people in countries that do not support or even make an active effort against their rights live a life of stress, one that chips away at their mental health, sometimes leading to unfortunate scenarios. Social, political and economic stresses will push away these people, isolating them from their local community and further worsening their mental state.

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There are many great services out there, but they're usually offered in the countries language and sometimes english. We should advocate to greatly extend the english offers to make these services helpful and available to everyone.

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Unfair differences in mental health support, treatment or well-being between different groups of people. They can happen because of financial problems, stigma, discrimination, language barriers etc.

# data[].attributes.body
During the session, we were introduced to the WHO definition of mental health, and then we tried to create our own understanding of it.

For me, mental health goes far beyond the standard definition. It’s more like a core state that affects every part of our lives.

If the physical body is like a building, then mental health is the foundation of that building. And in reality, it truly works that way; when we are not mentally well, we usually cannot perform well physically either, and vice versa.

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We should be aware of our own feelings while helping out others. Most of the time being there, listening and referring to specialist is enough for us to do. If we feel too overwhelmed, we shouldn't push ourselves past our barriers

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The overlap of various identities like nationality, gender, sexual/romantic orientation, interests, and how they affect how a person loves through the world and is perceived. The entire person must be considered as multiple of these intersectional factors can contribute to their mental health and all must be addressed.

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I now understand and I am more aware that there is huge range of factors that shape one’s personal wellbeing, lifestyle and mental health.

That say, if we meet somebody who struggles and want to help them we should listen to their thoughts but also consider broader context of factors that happen in their life.

# data[].attributes.body
It‘s a business product that wants you to keep engaging and shortens the time with and use of human interactions. AI does not see the whole you and will generate it‘s answers from the internet and material that does not provide high quality (eg reddit). Overuse -> Harder to engste with people

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Socioeconomic and political context like policies, education, income, governance and material circumstances have a big impact to a person's general quality of life and mental health.

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Planning, organizing and conducting any sort of project/campaign/program that aims to help people resolve the issues they are dealing with

# data[].attributes.body
We have found that all the countries have some initiatives regarding the mental health of international students, which is a good start, although they are not always adequate to the situation. They often do not meet the AAAQ standards (not available, accessible, acceptable or of good quality), which I find to be very disappointing.

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I realised how essential it is to be at peace with yourself in order to take care of others and truly be there for them.

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Mental health is still surrounded by misconceptions and judgments, both external and internal. This leads to a culture of shame that makes the problem harder to discover cause of the fear of the Stigma and contributes to the worsening of one's condition.

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Stigma and stereotypes in society prevent people from speaking openly about mental health. In particular discrimination against migrants and Black people the fear of being labeled as crazy and misconceptions can make access to psychological support even more difficult.

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Data shows that the problem of mental health is very present in young people and also international students. The fact is that international students seek less help and once they do, usually there is not a clear protocol how to refer them to services. There are several factors to this which are the language barriers in getting help and undermining the issue. Research has shown that belonging is the single strongest protective factor for good mental health in international students. There is also an issue of underfunding this problem even though funds for health are there.

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There are various clusters of factors influencing mental health: society, organizational, policy, institutional, community, interpersonal and individual.

Some examples can be socioeconomic status, war, climate change, family, friend group, genetics, accessibility to mental healthcare. It is important to look at these factors so we become aware of how our world is bidirectionaly related to mental health.

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Mental health remains an overall taboo topic, even though a relevant one, and stigma on people suffering with health issues deters the population to seek for the help that they need and deserve

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youth work-youth workers help young people build important skills, confidence, resilience, healthy relationships, and successful coping strategies when they face with difficulties. we, youth workers are important because many young people may not first go to a doctor. They may first want to talk to someone they trust and feel safe.

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As important it is to help others with mental health, its quite important that we ourselves have an adequate mental health. To determine this we can use the mental hand assessment (i sleep, i eat, i talk, i move, and i relax). Once we can find the high ground within ourselves we can be a greater assest to someone's life that is goin through difficult times.

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The access to health services and the right to health unfortunately is highly influenced and in many cases limited by people background and living conditions.

There are several barriers that prevent people from accessing adequate health services. Given the perception of mental health for the wider audience for it this situation is even worse

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Unjust inequality preventing a certain group/type of people from getting the mental health care they need, based on social, financial, organizational or structural reasons

# data[].attributes.body
During the session, we discussed how social factors like education, income, environment, and support systems affect mental health and well-being.

We also reflected on how stigma, stereotypes, and social pressure can negatively impact people emotionally and mentally.

The session helped me realize that mental health is strongly connected to the conditions and society around us.

# data[].attributes.body
When i looked to countries mental health care system and institutions, i got upset firstly but after that i got motivated. Some countries don’t have like systems but there ara a lot of good examples so we can use them as pioneer.

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Every individual (Human) in the world should have the same rights and be treated equality, with dignity irrespective of their intersectionality.

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Data about what the different factors that affect international students' mental health are, also in different phases of moving, staying, leaving añoras; the struggles and support systems they use or don't use and have/don't have. Determining where the system is lacking and the causes of it

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There are a few services in my country which can foster mental health support. Compared to other countries our unis don’t have such services which should be addressed asap, providing proper support because they are the bridges among students.

# data[].attributes.body
We saw a few situations of a young international student seeking help. Even though everyone seemed to be offering help, the way in which they did it was often not acceptable, as it didn’t see the person as a whole, complete being. This is also a human rights violation.

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There are fours types of barriers to mental health care: attitude and personal beliefs, social and cultural, institutional and organisational, and structural amd financial

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Youth work helps young people to improve their social skills, to connect with people learn skill and to be confident

As a youth worker i support young people to create a space where all are included also making fun and safe events for everyone

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An idea and a principle advocating for equality in every aspect of our lives regardless of our race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religious belief, family background and so on.

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Identify problems like stress, loneliness, stigma, or lack of the support you need to the specific situation you're in.

Understanding causes is the most important step and maybe the hardest, who is affected, and the impact.

Getting help such as friends, family, workplaces, or most important of all professionals.

Create simple solutions like better routines and to kill the old negative habits + communication as it is the key for every situation to be fixed.

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Often people judge, avoid or treat someone unfairly because they have a mental health condition. Talking openly, learning accurate information and showing empathy help reduce stigma.

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One part of the session that stayed with me was the situational analysis activity. I remember the case of the Korean student living in Germany during his master’s studies, struggling without emotional support from family or friends while also dealing with financial debt and pressure.

Analyzing his situation, as well as the situations of other characters, helped me understand how many hidden struggles people may carry every day. Sometimes from the outside a person may seem completely fine, while internally they are overwhelmed, lonely, or emotionally exhausted.

This activity made me reflect a lot on empathy and understanding others more deeply. In different ways, all of us are struggling with something, even if it is not always visible.

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The social aspects of health as a whole differ depending on where the individual comes from and the reality he/she is living in. Poverty, discrimination or unsafe living conditions can negatively affect health outcomes and one of the most significant determinants are stigma and stereotypes in the society. People can face unfair treatment because of their ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation etc.

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We being the Youth Workers and volunteers at ESN should prioritise taking care of ourselves and others as it is very much important for an Engine of the Train (We) to be fit and strong (emotionally, mentally, and physically) to carry or pull the coaches (Others) on the Mental Health and Well-being journey.

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Communities with a lower socioeconomic status are especially vulnerable, because of segregation, being isolated and pointed at, and to being able to access decent public services. The stigma, together with a lack od trust in the institutions, also prevent them from actively seeking help.

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for me it means negative beliefs, attitudes, or prejudice toward people who are going through mental health challenges. It can make young people feel ashamed, rejected from the community, or even get afraid to ask for help when they feel unsafe.

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We saw that WHO's definition of Mental Health is insuficient in its explanation. That beyond our ability to be productive in society, one's self must feel respect towards themselves, that we must be mindful of our environment and the stresses we feel everyday, that our feelings of vulnerability are normal, that life is harsh, yet we are resilient.

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Everyone deserves care, support, respect and mental well-being regardless of money or social status!! I think that local authorities should undertake steps for such people to make the mental health services affordable

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We can identify and map barriers by placing them into 4 key categories

Social and cultural

Structural and financial

Institutional and organizational

Attitude and personal beliefs

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Each country tackles the problem in such a different way, It feels that mental health is treated like an interpretation. Some countries or university offer excelent solutions while other sadly have something to offer. Creating a gap between people Who can access those services and those Who can't.

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Limitations imposed on LGBTQ+ people, such as discriminating laws or even informal discrimination in itself can have terrible effects on a person who belongs to this minority. It is very tragic to see how they are being introduced in my own country, and how they raise suicide attempt rates, and the need for medication.

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Based on the research presented on this session we see that there is huge percentage of international students who struggle on their mobility -41%. Only 12% of those students seek for any form of help with their mental health. That data suggest that there is a huge stigma around mental health struggles and students besides having problems with getting help don’t even try at the first place because they belittle themselves.

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Youth work is everything for,by and with young people. As youth workers we act as a contact and connection point for young people needing support and the support available, supporting whether from our resources or by providing information and direction to the appropriate place, person, institution. The support we offer as youth workers is in our context mainly not crisis based but developing and implementing empowering and enjoyable spaces and projects which contribute to the general well-being of the people we work with

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Obstacles, whether internal or external, personal, social, financial or institutional that prevent people from getting the help they need

# data[].attributes.body
Youth work is huge world. The definition encompasses a lot of elements stressing out the importance of its non-formal education soul.

Youth work is voluntary and participatory, highly critical within itself and with the outside, based on Relationships and Inclusion and driven by Values.

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Youth work is not only limited to a title just given to a professional with credentials. It can further be given to anyone that is in the field of making opertunities, involvement, teaching, skill development, and emphasis on growing and learning for the youth.

So yes we are all youth workers :)

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This was a great reminder that the factors that make us the people we are can both divide us and unite us from/with other people. But ultimately the mixture of all of them make us unique ⭐

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It can be conditions around us

Such as family, school, work, community etc which can affect how you think and feel

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For children, the education of the parents plays a larger role in being able to handle mental stressors than their income (when corrected for their education). Additionally, struggles with mental health are the best predictor of struggles with mental health in the future. This means awareness and action must start early - likely before people can take care of it conciously on their own.

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The access to fair, affordable, appropriate mental health support is not equal, which is unfair, but it is something that can and should be changed.

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Before this session, i was defining me as just “volunteer“ not as Youth Worker”. After I learned and realised, i would like to do more youth work in different fields because our generation is coming to the stage and we need to work on topic more than more.

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We got equipped in knowledge and tools we can use for in order to check the overall well-being (e.g. the mental health hand, what (doesn’t) work for me, compassionate letter exercise).

It is crucial to have frequent check ups with ourselves and the others to make sure we are not neglecting the fulfillment of basic needs in the fast-paced environment that we are in.

However, we have to remember that if we don’t have the mental space for someone’s issues it is okay and we shouldn’t force ourselves to take their physical or mental struggles onto ourselves.

As an ESN section we could create concrete guidelines in how to reach for help and information on the local/national services.

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One thing that stayed with me during this fair is the Bulgaria’s phone line specifically for international students. International students as a population are growing and we need to come up with more services tailored to them personally.

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Before this session, I thought youth workers were only people officially working full-time in this field, like a regular 9–6 job. Because of that, I even felt a bit shy to see myself as a youth worker. But during the session I realized that all of us gathered here are actually youth workers in our own way, and I think that’s really inspiring and meaningful.

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We looked at various data from different research on mental health. There was data related to ESN, individual cases, organizations and educational institutions. Overall, we found out that international students are suffering from poor mental health and don’t have enough resources and information to be correctly supported. My group focused on emphasising that we should be sensitive and be active listening to international students and guiding them towards appeopriate services where they can have propper help.

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A person is characterized by many layers and different traits that make it unique as a whole, but also belonging to groups of people.

A distinctive trait with someone can be a commonality with someone else.

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Globally, the mental health needs of young people with low income levels are often not met. In many countries, although free services exist, they are either of low quality or have long waiting lists. In addition, low income and the education level of their parents are also stress-inducing factors

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All the specific characteristics, interests, factors and groups of belonging that make a person similar or different to the community. Those factors are interconnected and have an impact on each other and how the person interacts with their surroundings and the barriers they are presented with

# data[].attributes.body
It is important to understand the different types of Barriers and mapping them in correct categories to overcome them or tackle them effectively and efficiently. The categories are:

Attitude & Personal Beliefs

Social & Cultural

Structural and Financial

Institutional and Organisational

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Largely depends of where Is treated, many exemples of inadequate structures for people belonging in this group even if they are a category at risk, expecially at a young age

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The migrants create minority in countries that they came to and too often have problems to adapt to new environments because there are no sufficient opportunities for them to join and get support- which produces stress since everyone is strange and everything is on their head with no help.

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Intersectionality means where people can face different experiences because of their gender, race, age, disability or other parts of their identity

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Some signs of declining mental health are not obvious, and can be misinterpreted at first, such as sudden aggressive behavior, so we need to be very mindful to identify these effectively.

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Work dedicated to help youth flourish and accomplish their full potential. Learned that as ESNers we are youth workers and can make a difference.

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There are a lot of different services and approaches to mental health help in every country, some more effective than others.

The problem remains that in most countries you either have to wait or pay a lot or to go through loopholes just to access basic services.

There should be more information for the population about these services and they can be accessed.

# data[].attributes.body
Money cannot buy happiness, but it could buy therapy. People that are in a difficult socioeconomic scenario are the most at risk of worsening their mental health. Beyond the money aspect, social stigma around these communities of people means that even if therapy services are affordable, people will avoid them in order to not be labelled and isolated from their community.

# data[].attributes.body
It is important that, regardless of socioeconomic status, mental health is treated as a priority. And for this to happen, institutions, universities etc need to encourage even those who cannot afford it to consider it a priority, while also ensuring that these people have access to services that can help them in this sense

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Social determinants of mental health are…

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Social determinants of mental health are…

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the life conditions around people that affect how they feel mentally and emotionally. There can be a lot of factors like financial background, education, family environment, housing issues, work conditions etc

# data[].attributes.body
Stigma against mental health can be seen as a main factort in the decline of mental health in an individual. Having these negative opinions against you from (family, society, friends, employers, and anyone that can have impact on you) can be one of the reasons where you neglect yourself and be the reason you dont seek help.

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It’s like a onion model for me. There are a lot of different layers in there and they’re defining us. We’re coming from different backgrounds, countries so we have a large pool of intersectional elements. But we also have many things in common.

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From needing help and asking for It there are many steps in between. It feels like mental health Is a responsability we have to take ourselfs but external factors can sometimes be more important.