#MentalHealthWeek: Singer-songwriter Stephanie Rainey talks cyber bullies and inspiring the nation's youth

"I wrote the song with two guys in London," recalls Rainey. "We were talking about anxiety, self-consciousness, and about growing up and feeling like you're the only person who's going through certain things. It can feel very lonely when you're in the middle of it all. As you grow up, you open up a bit more to your friends and you realise that actually everybody is in the same boat. That's when we came up with the idea for the theme of the song - 'There's another 100 people like me, who are going through the exact same thing.'"

Backed by a thought-provoking video, which features people who have suffered with various mental issues including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and addiction, the song has since become something of an anthem for the talented singer.

"When we came to do the video," recalls Stephanie, "we wanted it to reflect the message of the single. We put the word out and heard back from a lot of people who suffer from anxiety, depression and all these different things, and who wanted to get involved. We heard their stories and asked them to London to appear in the clip. They didn't have to do anything, just be there, and when they saw the video back, they said it perfectly summed up the way they felt at their lowest point. That made the whole thing worthwhile. It was a cool experience seeing everyone realise they weren't alone. I think a lot of people in the video ended up working through what they were dealing with, so it was a very positive thing."

While Rainey herself tells us she doesn't suffer from mental health problems, the artist, who is influenced by the likes of Alison Krauss, Coldplay and Neil Young, feels that writing songs about issues like these is important for both music and society in general.

"There are a lot of songs out there that don't really mean enough," she considers. "I like songs people can really relate to and can see themselves in. I think when you go a little deeper and try to open up a little bit, more people respond to that. When people feel like you're being honest, they respond to it honestly too. It creates a connection that maybe other tracks don't. If more people were writing about these kind of subjects, then it could help change things, especially for young people who are so led by music."

And speaking of the nation's youth, a school in Carlow has really taken '100 Like Me' to heart, as Rainey notes.

"St Leo's College in Carlow got in touch with me, asking could they make a music video to my song. They were studying the lyrics in their English class, and I was like, 'Yeah of course!' They made this incredible video; it was so well done and they all told me they connected with the track, which meant a lot. I think you have to be fearless with your content because there's so much music out there. You need to be brave."

It's not just Stephanie's music that is brave. The singer, who is releasing her next single 'Sorry' before the year ends, is also similarly fearless when it comes to calling out online trolls too.

"I think social media is amazing, but it can be a blessing and a curse," she says. "I'm very lucky in that I've had no negativity from anything I've done. With my previous single 'Please Don't Go', I was really worried about releasing it. The video was so human and raw and I was concerned about trolls. The internet can be so cruel, but there ended up being only one comment that was negative and I actually responded to it. I wrote a big reply basically asking them to consider what they write, and they took their own comment down afterwards!

"Thankfully that's the only negative experience I've had. I think you can use the internet as a really valuable tool to connect with others, and it's a great way to find like-minded people who have similar interests, or who've gone through similar experiences."

For more details on '100 Like Me' and Stephanie's upcoming single 'Sorry', visit stephanierainey.com.