Times have changed; We are living during a global pandemic and life as we knew it no longer exists. Most of us have been on lockdown in our homes for at least two months and all of our hopes, dreams, and plans are at the least interrupted, and some are put on hold for now. However, we are strong and we know that life must go on so we are learning how to do things differently. This year, CandleX’s annual workshop with Elite Scholars of China was moved online using GoToMeeting.

Last year we published a video interview with David, a Washington participant in a mental health peer support group. The coronavirus outbreak in Beijing has meant that much of our peer support has been remote over the last few weeks, but CandleX is still committed to providing psychosocial support for Beijing’s English-speaking community. Here’s an interview with Emily, who has just started facilitating a peer support group for those bereaved by suicide in her hometown. If yo

10 September was World Suicide Prevention Day and CandleX marked this important day by running a Suicide Prevention Campaign since then until now. In September, CandleX and thebeijinger joined together to raise awareness on suicide prevention. CandleX was featured in a short article in thebeijinger published on 10 September about mental health options in Beijing. An anonymous member of the CandleX support group discussed their experiences and shared their own advice for talki

Throughout September and October, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 and the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Day on October 10, CandleX focused on suicide prevention, a complex and serious issue. It is mind-boggling to think that on average six people completed suicide today in Beijing, and six people yesterday, six the day before that, and there will be another six die by suicide tomorrow. By the end of 2019, nearly 140,000 people

As part of our ongoing work with schools and colleges in Beijing, CandleX held a workshop on 29 May in collaboration with Elite Scholars of China. The workshop aimed to teach parents whose children were about to graduate high school and go abroad for college what they could expect from their children’s mental health during the transition, how they could support them, and how they can support themselves through this time. While schools usually do a great job of making the tran

Our latest piece in the One Model One Story series, written by Enoch Li, founder of Bearapy, is about Alice, who lives with bipolar disorder. The accompanying picture, ‘Alice’, by Spanish Photographer Pere Ibañez, is displayed throughout June and July at our Moodlab exhibit at Camera Stylo in Beijing, along with other work from the award-winning series. Name: Alice Liu Country of Origin: China Occupation: School Academic Officer Time in Beijing: 8 years Many Faces I want to