Here’s how Instagram Guides is used for mental health wellness content in Malaysia

Instagram introduced Instagram Guides in Malaysia—a new feature which lets you discover content from creators, organisations and publishers on the platform. The feature will first be used for wellness content from organisations and creators.

Instagram Guides was launched along with the #RealTalk campaign, addressing the state of mental well-being in the country—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign launched with an online panel discussion between Instagram, mental health experts and online celebrities to further normalise and de-stigmatise mental health.

According to a recent Ipsos survey, 44% of Malaysians said that their mental wellness has been affected since the pandemic began. And according to Facebook, more than 750,000 people in Malaysia are already members of 20,000 active Facebook groups dedicated for people to seek support in maintaining mental wellness.

“Most people believe that mental health conditions are rare and only ‘happen to someone else’. Most families are not prepared to cope with learning that their loved one has a mental illness. It can be physically and emotionally trying, and can make us feel vulnerable to the opinions and judgments of others,” said Anita Abu Bakar, President of Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA).

To view a Guide, visit the profiles of MIASA Malaysia and Naluri, then tap the middle icon to view their Guides (the icon that looks like a pamphlet). Guides can let you view posts and videos curated by the creator along with helpful tips and advice. You can also share a Guide to your Instagram Stories, or in Direct messages by tapping the share button on the top right corner.

Other local creators like @slurpee_crank and @imantroye will also be posting their Guides, according to Instagram. These creators have been active advocates on their platforms to talk about mental health among the youth in Malaysia.

“We want Instagram to be a place where you can find reliable information from your favourite accounts,” said Philip Chua, Head of Instagram Public Policy.

Besides Guides, Instagram also mentions new features like hiding negative comments to fight against online bullying. You can also use features like pinning your top three favourite comments, delete multiple comments at once, and even include an additional warning when people repeatedly attempt to post potentially offensive comments.

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