IN CLEVELAND Users using the TikTok app will discover new features on World Mental Health Day. The Cleveland Clinic’s trusted and validated mental health resources appear directly in the app.

When a viewer scrolls through the “for you” page on TikTok, videos from producers may include stories on mental health, food, animals, dancing, and more.

Dr. Adam Borland, a clinical psychologist at Cleveland Clinic, said: “Thank goodness, people are finally willing and able to talk about mental health care and the advantages of it, and the stigma is lifting.

The World Health Organization estimates that one in eight persons worldwide have a mental health issue. After COVID-19, the number of persons who suffer from anxiety and depression sharply increased.

The global policy head for mental health at TikTok told News 5 that “not just professionals are able to have these talks securely and refer people. Ryn Linthicum, the policy lead for mental health at Tik Tok Global, described it as “really a whole community that’s able to come together.”

Beginning on Tuesday, American TikTok users who search the words “depression,” “anxiety,” or “trauma” on the app will be directed to a screen similar to the one below, which offers information from the Cleveland Clinic and the National Institute on Mental Health.

“We’re hoping that when someone searches some of these difficult topics and terms, they’re able to see an immediate, localized, tailored resource that really helps them to understand what they might be going through,” Linthicum said.

The Cleveland Clinic stated that it is crucial to provide accurate real-time information regarding mental health online, particularly for teenage users.

“Whenever you conduct an online search for mental health issues or mental health services. Because there is so much information available, it can be difficult for people to sort through what is reliable and truthful, according to Dr. Borland.

More than 40 neurological disorders and mental health concerns will be linked to a reference page in the app throughout this month.

“Not everyone who looks up these terms might be in crisis, but we’re really trying to help everyone have access to this information to break down stigmas and really help encourage a community of caring,” Linthicum said.

Use the hashtag #mentalhealthawareness to join the conversation, which is open to everyone. According to TikTok, that hashtag has received more than 100 billion views.- Info sources-News5 Cleveland