Is Mental Health Taken Seriously?
Mental Health 2022
Mental health refers to our psychological and emotional wellbeing and is something that all of us contend with at least once in our lives. But is modernity compromising our collective mental wellbeing?
Mental health refers to our psychological and emotional wellbeing and is something that all of us contend with at least once in our lives. According to various sources, mental health issues are rising significantly and between 1/5 and 1/10 people suffer with mental health every single year. It is something that we are all likely to contend with at least once in our lives.
Mental health has become a central pillar of societal concern and conversation. Some argue that increases in mental health issues stem from the exhaustive nature of our global capitalist economy, where value is measured by productivity and we must spend the majority of our adult life working to survive. Consumers are now also exposed to constant streams of marketing content telling them what they should be buying. Failure to keep up with consumer trends can result in FOMO (the fear of missing out) or feeling left behind.
​
This has been perpetuated by social media, which also takes a hefty bulk of blame for the dramatic spike in mental health issues in younger generations in recent years. Causing us to ask whether pressures we are using social media to feel connected and empowered or if being seen on social media are detrimental to our sense of self.
​
Away from screens, there is an emerging need to reconnect to the basics of what it is to be human. The very fundamentals of being alive, such as meaningful connection, rest without guilt, immersion, access to and an appreciation of nature. But again, these neutral remedies can often come with their own set of barriers to accessibility.
​
So with our standard of living arguably better than ever, why is there a general decline in mental wellbeing? What are the solutions or remedies to better mental health and how can we, as a society, take meaningful positive steps to get there?