At the ‘Up front Mental Health Roundtable’, Miss Universe 2020 delegates Curacao’s Chantal Wiertz, Netherlands’ Denise Speelman, Ireland’s Nadia Sayers and Jamaica’s Miqueal-Symone Williams talk about how important it is to stay away from negativity and stay true to themselves when it comes to their mental health.
In a video posted by Miss Universe organization on their official YouTube channel, the contestants were seen discussing how social media has severely affected the mental health with all the negativity that is poured in sometimes for no reason.
Miss Universe Netherlands 2020 Denise Speelman talked about her eating disorder and how difficult it was initially for her to even post anything on her social media because of all the harsh comments. Curacao’s Chantal Wiertz opened up about her autism and how she struggled with it initially. But now, she understands that even on bad days, she does not need to fight her disease and has accepted it positively.
Ireland’s Nadia Sayers and Jamaica’s Miqueal-Symone Williams also joined in to talk about how people now appreciate vulnerability and show their real side. Watch the video here –
Miss Universe Thailand 2020 Amanda Obdam also talked about mental health, her advocacy, through Have You Listened Campaign. She posted a video on her social media and wrote in her caption, “Let's get to know and understand more about the mental health which is part of our lives. This is something that we should not fear. It is NOT a shame or a stigma. Instead, our mental health is so relevant and it is something we should take a good care of. You can seek help in case you need it. Dare to tell yourself that you deserve good medical treatments.”
Mental health was one of the rumored leaked topics given out to the candidates, alongside climate change, free speech and the right to protest, changing beauty standards, gender-based violence, refugee crisis and role of the United Nations.