Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid stepped out together in New York the other day, confirming that they’d gotten back together. On Saturday Zayn was supposed to perform at Capital FM’s Summertime Ball back home in London. He was in London but cancelled the performance. This was his explanation on Twitter:


And Gigi’s message of support that followed:


People living with mental health issues often face stigma and discrimination. At Covenant House Vancouver, many of the at-risk youth we serve are often labelled difficult or wild or uncooperative because their families and communities did not recognise their challenges. During Bell Let’s Talk Day a couple of years ago, I spoke with someone who works to raise mental health awareness and challenge the negative assumptions we make about those living with mental illness. I’ll never forget the simple, straightforward way she explained it to me. Let’s say someone has diabetes and can’t come to work because of complications with the disease. There would be no shame in that. It should be the same with those facing mental health challenges.

The fact that someone like Zayn, so young, so famous, with his reach and influence, is speaking about his struggles with no embarrassment and without hesitation is encouraging. Hopefully it also means he’s accessing treatment and support. I also appreciate that Zayn, in his message, is not assigning blame. He’s not complaining about fans. He’s not bitching about the media, even though, conceivably, the combination of those pressures might exacerbate his condition. These are positive signs to take away.