Educating, informing, and securing safe spaces – our Mental Health Awareness Week roundup

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
(Image credit: The Chinese Room)

Today marks the last day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2023, and the final day of our dedicated coverage around the event. Speaking about issues of mental health can be a complex and complicated thing, but having and encouraging continuous conversations, dialogues and positive discourse around sensitive subject matter can help us open our mouths, minds and hearts. 

We hope you've enjoyed our spotlights and showcases on just some of the most interesting and important games that tackle mental health in a myriad of ways, and, if you can relate to any of our stories, we hope that you find yourself in a position to speak about how you're feeling, if you weren't already. Below is a recap of our coverage this week, followed by some helpful websites and phone numbers for relevant services, should you, or anyone else in your life, ever need them.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 recap

The Town of Light

(Image credit: LKA)

It's Mental Health Awareness Week – here's my video games and mental health story

Actual Sunlight, a game about an everyman struggling with depression, changed my life

Getting help is hard – these games helped me make first contact with mental health professionals

This terrifying horror game about OCD helped me understand conditions different to my own

Horror games can terrify without tropes, and this game about historical cruelty proves it

From grand retreats to Grand Theft Auto, walking (and talking) simulators can help offset anxiety 

Useful numbers and website information  

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture

(Image credit: The Chinese Room)

US

New 988 Mental Health Emergency Hotline
In July 2022, a universal mental health crisis line launched nationwide. Calling 988 will connect you to a crisis counselor regardless of where you are in the United States

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI; or text "HELPLINE" to 62640
(Both services available between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET, Monday–Friday)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Phone: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Website: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Suicide Prevention, Awareness, and Support
www.suicide.org

UK

Samaritans
Phone: 116 123 (free from any phone)
Email: jo@samaritans.org

SANEline
0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day)

National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK
Supportive listening service: 0800 689 5652 (6pm to midnight every day)

GLOBAL

Global list of hotlines for mental health help via psycom.net


Check out these 10 games to help kickstart conversations about mental health

Joe Donnelly
Features Editor, GamesRadar+

Joe is a Features Editor at GamesRadar+. With over seven years of experience working in specialist print and online journalism, Joe has written for a number of gaming, sport and entertainment publications including PC Gamer, Edge, Play and FourFourTwo. He is well-versed in all things Grand Theft Auto and spends much of his spare time swapping real-world Glasgow for GTA Online’s Los Santos. Joe is also a mental health advocate and has written a book about video games, mental health and their complex intersections. He is a regular expert contributor on both subjects for BBC radio. Many moons ago, he was a fully-qualified plumber which basically makes him Super Mario.