aves Mental Health (Global Mental Health Peer Network)

At times, we may find ourselves waiting for our turn to speak or trying to fix the problem someone has shared with us, when they simply want to be heard. An article titled “High-quality listening behaviors linked to social connection between strangers” (2025) explored whether observable listening behaviours actually contribute to people feeling connected during conversations. The researchers found that, in deeper conversations, people who asked more follow-up questions and offered more verbal validation tended to show greater markers of social connection. We might hear someone's words without actually understanding what sits beneath them. What does it mean to truly hear someone? Article: https://lnkd.in/dQhBZcBz Follow us for more information on mental health 💛 #ActiveListening #BeingHeard #MentalHealthAdvocacy

Avoidant attachment can involve discomfort with vulnerability, emotional intimacy and relying on others, but these patterns don't necessarily mean that someone doesn't want meaningful relationships. Sometimes, the more connected we feel to someone, the more vulnerable we can feel. A study titled “The Relationship Between Adult Attachment and Mental Health” (2022) explored the connection between attachment and mental health, finding that higher attachment avoidance was associated with more negative mental health indicators, including anxiety and loneliness. So, how do we open up space to receive care without withdrawing? Article: https://lnkd.in/dU8aT5DR Save this for when you need it, and share it with someone who might find it useful. #AvoidantAttachment #AttachmentStyles #LivedExperience

19 October | Monday Reflections 🤍 There can be pressure to appear okay, even when things feel uncertain or heavy. But mental health isn’t about always holding it together. It’s about noticing when something doesn’t feel right and allowing yourself the space to respond with care. Pausing, feeling, or reaching out are all valid ways of supporting yourself. ✨ What’s something you’ve noticed you needed more of lately? #MondayReflections #GiveYourselfTime #Wellbeing #avesMH

Sometimes, people living with anxiety can feel a need to control or anticipate the outcome, because uncertainty can feel more difficult than the outcome itself. So, how do we approach a situation even when we don't know its outcome? Tell us more in the comments if you relate to this. #AnxietyAwareness #LivedExperience #MentalWellbeing #MentalHealthAdvocacy

Sometimes, we need to draw a line in order to replenish our own capacity to care. A study titled “Work–Family Boundary Fit and Employee Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Work–Family Conflict” (2025) explored how maintaining work–life boundaries was associated with better job satisfaction and aspects of wellbeing. The key takeaway was not about having one particular “healthy” boundary style, but having the autonomy to control our personal boundaries. So, how do we honour our own boundaries? Article: https://lnkd.in/eU9vReBT Share this with someone who needs a reminder💛 #HealthyBoundaries #MentalWellbeing #MentalHealthAdvocacy

📢 *Your Voice Matters: Help Shape the Future of AI in Mental Health! 💙* *aves, in partnership with **George Washington University, invites **people with lived experience of mental health conditions, caregivers, and advocates* to participate in a research survey exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, could support mental health communication, training, and care. We want to hear *your experiences, perspectives, and concerns* to help ensure that future AI tools are developed responsibly, inclusively, and with the needs of people with lived experience and their caregivers in mind. ✅ *Anonymous* – No identifying information collected ✅ *Quick* – Approximately 10 minutes ✅ *Voluntary* – Your participation is entirely your choice 🔗 *Share your perspective:* [Complete the survey here](https://lnkd.in/dPj5v2Zm) 💙 *Your experience matters. Your voice can help shape the future of mental health support.* Please consider sharing this invitation with others who may be interested! For any questions, please reach out to Ruta Rangel, GWU at rbraz@gwu.edu

When you start to heal from periods of crisis, loss or even a diagnosis, you can find yourself navigating who you are after these experiences. Sometimes, recovery and wellness isn't about returning to the person you used to be. It can also mean learning to support and hold space for the person you're becoming. How can we hold space and offer support to those in life-changing moments? #LivedExperience #MentalHealthAdvocacy #Recovery

Awareness in Action with SAFMH: Lived Experiences Heard - webinar aves Mental Health has partnered with the South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH) for an October Awareness in Action webinar, marking World Mental Health Month 2026. This joint webinar will focus on moving beyond tokenistic inclusion towards meaningful engagement with people with lived experience of mental health conditions. We will explore what it means to involve people with lived experience not only as passive recipients but as active contributors and decision-makers, ensuring lived expertise informs the conversations, decisions and actions that shape mental health policy and practice. Date: 27th October 2026 at 11am to 12pm SAST Register here: https://lnkd.in/d9XVwX8S

What happens when there's pressure to turn lived experience into something meaningful? An article titled “Redemptive Stories and Those Who Tell Them Are Preferred in the U.S.” (2020) examines whether people prefer traumatic stories when they are followed by an ending of redemption. The study found that people responded more positively to stories where the person found growth, meaning or a positive outcome following their experience. Whilst inspiration can be motivating, what makes this problematic is the pressure and expectation that a person's experience has to become a story of purpose, strength or growth. I once had a conversation with someone who told me that, for him, hope ultimately ended in isolation from people he thought were friends. Sometimes, not everyone's experiences have a fitting ending. So, how do we allow others to tell their stories without expecting them to find a lesson in their pain? Article: https://lnkd.in/deGRryGa Talk to us in the comments if this felt relatable. #LivedExperience #MentalHealthAdvocacy #ExpertsByExperience

Awareness in Action with SAFMH: Lived Experiences Heard - webinar aves Mental Health has partnered with the South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH) for an October Awareness in Action webinar, marking World Mental Health Month 2026. This joint webinar will focus on moving beyond tokenistic inclusion towards meaningful engagement with people with lived experience of mental health conditions. We will explore what it means to involve people with lived experience not only as passive recipients but as active contributors and decision-makers, ensuring lived expertise informs the conversations, decisions and actions that shape mental health policy and practice. Date: 27th October 2026 at 11am to 12pm SAST Register here: https://lnkd.in/d9XVwX8S