An Indonesian storyteller in Hong Kong has translated his own struggle with depression into a webcomic to encourage people affected by the condition to talk about their problems more openly and to raise public awareness about mental health issues. Press Play was launched this month to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month in Hong Kong. In it Edward Gunawan, 36, chronicles his 15-year battle against depression, with vivid black-and-white illustrations by his brother Elbert Lim, sketched over six months. The drawings reflect Gunawan’s feelings as he fought depression, which he described as “drowning”, being “overwhelmed by giant waves” and “falling into a hole”. “I hope that by sharing such a vulnerable story about myself, it can empower others to talk about their own circumstances and their own feelings more openly with people they love and trust, [and] ultimately [to] seek professional help if they need to,” Gunawan says. Poor mental health is a major public health concern in many world cities. In Hong Kong, the number of patients with mental illness under the Hospital Authority’s care increased from 187,000 in 2012 to more than 220,000 in 2016, according to a mental health review report from the Food and Health Bureau. More than half of secondary-school students in the city showed signs of depression , according to a citywide survey covering about 15,560 pupils in 2017. Mind HK, a mental health charity, says the number of Hongkongers suffering from poor mental health is under-reported. “One [reason] is that people feel very worried about talking about their mental health – stigma is a big problem in Hong Kong. The other is that people don’t necessarily know that they are experiencing a mental health problem,” says Hannah Reidy, chief executive officer of Mind HK. The non-profit organisation aims to improve awareness and understanding of mental health. Gunawan opened up about his mental health struggles in public for the first time through a live storytelling show last year in Hong Kong. Encouraged by audience members, who approached him to speak about their own struggles, he has since shared his story in talks with local organisations and communities. News reports about the mental health-related suicides of celebrities such as chef Anthony Bourdain, fashion accessories designer Kate Spade and Hong Kong pop star Ellen Joyce Loo also spurred him into action. “I felt frustrated by all these negatively skewed, sensational news reports,” Gunawan recalls. “No wonder I used to internalise that death by suicide is the inevitable conclusion for someone struggling with their mental health. In truth, it’s not.” Along with the webcomic, the brothers started a Facebook group for visitors to make meaningful connections with one another. They hope to build a community in which people can exchange important information on mental health resources and self-care tools. They are working on translating the webcomic into other Asian languages, including Chinese, Indonesian and Thai, and plan to host gatherings in Hong Kong. They also seek more partners to reach more people. As Mind HK’s Reidy says: “The first step to reducing stigma around mental health is to increase the conversation around it … that’s something everyone in Hong Kong can do to help move our entire society forward.”