MHM Magazine

The idea of a gendered ‘mental load’ has been recently popularised by Emma, a French comic illustrator. It has since become a social media darling, particularly in developed economies, where some women have the resources to free themselves from practical domestic labour, but remain mentally ensnared in the organisation of family life. Interestingly, the idea of a cognitive or mental load has been present in academic literature since the 1970s, with application to early IT innovations and management practices, for example. These days, the concept is decidedly gendered and something of an Insta-famous buzz word, taken to denote a “first world” problem for women in materially privileged settings. While the mental load might be seen as a problem of the privileged, teen suicide is a more universal phenomenon. Seeking to develop an eco-system of care around vulnerable teens, the SADAG visits schools and communities across Gauteng province, offering teen suicide prevention talks. Ten parent focused talks were conducted across the province in 2024 and 2025, where attendees were recruited by schools and churches across several districts. A total By Dr Bronwyn Dworzanowski-Venter Senior Research Associate Faculty of Humanities University of Johannesburg bjd2006@gmail.com MAKING THE ‘MENTAL LOAD’ MATTER IN TEEN SUICIDE PREVENTION - LEARNING FROM THE EVALUATION OF SADAG’S PARENT AND CAREGIVER TALKS (2024-2025) MHM | 2025 | Volume 12 | Issue 4 | Making the ‘Mental Load’ Matter in Teen Suicide Prevention MHM Issue 4 | 2025 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 5 MHM