Wikipedia Editing as a Mental Health Practice
Speakers
Wikimedia projects contributor, Wikipedia editor and speaker. Elected board member of Wikimedia Ukraine (since 2025). Member of WikiOrchestra and WikiChoir. Organizing committee member of (Un)Known Women on Wikipedia, 2024-2026.
Abstract
Can editing Wikipedia positively influence mental health? This talk explores how contributing to Wiki projects supports well-being, builds confidence, and creates a sense of purpose.
Some time ago, reading a book by a German psychotherapist, Ursula Nuber, I was struck by the statistics that women more often than men experience lower self-esteem, lower mood, and higher rates of depression. While we may not always change the reasons that cause this, we might choose how we spend our time and energy.
As a female Wikipedia editor living in Ukraine during the war, I’ve noticed that editing Wikipedia helps me cope with stress and uncertainty.
From training focus and concentration to discovering new topics, collaborating, and sharing knowledge, Wikipedia editing is a unique practice that supports well-being. It’s especially valuable for women, as it allows them to share their expertise, learn something new, see their edits and articles published, and feel that they contribute to something larger than themselves.
By developing new skills and focusing on small things in their area of control (like editing one article a day), women editors may strengthen their self-esteem, feel meaningful contribution, and find emotional grounding.
Other Wiki projects (Wikisource, Wikiquote, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, etc.) can provide additional ways to feel a meaningful contribution and experience satisfaction in building collaborative knowledge.
We will discuss how introducing women to Wiki projects can help their mental health and resilience. Editing thus can be a powerful practice of claiming space, building confidence, and finding stability in uncertain times.
Additional information
The session relates to all three aspects of the theme. Regarding Liberté – editing Wikipedia can provide a space for women to claim their presence, share expertise, and contribute to something larger than themselves. In contexts where women often experience low self-esteem or feel unheard, participation itself can become an act of freedom and empowerment. Équité speaks about inclusion and equal opportunities. On Wikipedia, there’s still a big gender gap, with fewer female editors than males. Introducing women to Wiki editing creates opportunities for them to collaborate, develop new skills, and see visible achievements, improving their mood and emotional state and strengthening their confidence. Publishing or improving an article, or contributing to Wikisource or Wikidata, provides tangible proof of their competence and value, creating a sense of meaning. Fiabilité refers to stability. In times of uncertainty, such as living through war or social instability, editing Wiki projects becomes a structured and reliable practice. It trains focus and concentration, provides small, achievable goals, and creates emotional grounding. Editing one article a day may seem simple, but it offers a sense of control when external events feel overwhelming.
General audiences, especially women, educators, and neuro-spicy Wikimedians.
Everyone can participate in this session