This post is by Rebecca Newman who is studying for a BA in human geography and is a member of NAEE’s blog team. As ever with our blogs, Rebecca’s views are not necessarily those of the Association.
Poor mental health has grown to be the unspoken crisis from the pandemic. Millions of people worldwide have been surrounded by death and disease, made to voluntarily isolate themselves, with their situations worsened by increasing poverty and unemployment.
Psychologists have identified increasing cases of anxiety in children and cases of depression have increased in a majority of countries. WHO claim that by 2030, depression will rank first in the global burden of disease[1]. The acute economic turmoil leaving people at risk of losing their homes and livelihoods, accompanied by frequent misinformation and uncertainty, has caused extreme anxiety.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines being “mentally healthy” as being in a “state of wellbeing in which an individual realises their own abilities, can cope with the “normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to contribute to their community”. Therefore, the pandemic is likely to hinder most of what makes individuals ‘mentally healthy’[2].
Devora Kestel, Head of the WHO Mental Health Department claimed that the “isolation, fear and uncertainty can cause extreme psychological distress”. She argues that Governments need to place mental health at the centre of their responses to the pandemic[3].
The growing significance is highlighted through the inclusion of mental health in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, under goal 3.4. This states that countries need to promote mental health treatment and well-being especially in relation to suicide mortality rates.
Mental health is a key element in all aspects of life, no matter the socio-economic or cultural background. It thrives in situations of extreme poverty or violence but also in wealthier arenas. It has also been proven to link to many other SDGs, such as, those focusing on eradicating poverty (1, 2 and 6) as 80% of people with mental disorders live in middle- and low-income countries[4].
In the UK, the progress has been hindered by a historic underinvestment in mental health and media control. Stigma and stereotypes surrounding mental illness promoted by the media have prevented their acceptance in society, delaying the possibility of ending our global mental health crisis.
Not only has the pandemic worsened mental health, but it has also led to an escalation of domestic violence. With the UK domestic violence helpline ‘Refuge’ having a 60% increase of calls in the last year[5]. There is some progress, with the UK Government publishing their Mental Health Recovery Plan in March 2021, which invests £500 million into mental health services, including educational support. However, this is only a start[6]. There needs to be more bottom-up developments globally to even begin to address the scale of this crisis.
Education is often cited as the most influential way of resolving it. Addressing public stigma through education can facilitate help seeking and encourage students to get treatment. Globally, educational campaigns such as ‘Like Minds Like Mine’ in New Zealand and ‘One of Us’ in Denmark have been extremely successful. In the UK, campaigns such as “Time to Change” have been incredibly influential in changing attitudes, but we must keep improving[7].
Educators are at the centre of this crisis, to help shape young people through this difficult period. Mental health is often hidden, at the detriment to those suffering. The ability to notice and address this crisis is vital if we want to progress from this pandemic.
Depression and mental illness do not have a socio-economic status, depression is a fundamental human experience and should be treated as a significant public health concern. It would be exceedingly difficult to find an individual who has not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mental health, long stigmatised and shrouded is now at the forefront of global health issues. Education has the potential to change attitudes and truly help individuals, young and old. Let this crisis be a lesson to society, we cannot go on ignoring our problems, they cannot be suppressed for long.
References
Kate Kelland, ‘U.N. warns of global mental health crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic’, World Economic Forum [website] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/united-nations-global-mental-health-crisis-covid19-pandemic/ (Accessed 2 June 2021)
J.K Kopinak, “Mental Health in Developing Countries: Challenges and Opportunities in Introducing Western Mental Health System in Uganda”, International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and Aids, 2015,pp. 22-30
J. Grierson, “Calls to domestic abuse helpline in England up by 60% over past year” The Guardian, [website] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/23/domestic-abuse-covid-lockdown-women-refuge [Accessed 25 May 2021].
UK Government, “Mental health recovery plan backed by £500 million”, London: Department of Health and Social Care, 2021
Claire Henderson, Evans-Lacko, S. & Thornicroft, G, “Mental Illness Stigma, Help Seeking, and Public Health Programs”, American Journal of Public Health, 2013, 103(5), pp. 777-780.
R.Dybdahl, “Mental health is an integral part of the sustainable development goals”, Prev Med Commun Health, 2017
Footnotes
[1] Kate Kelland, ‘U.N. warns of global mental health crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic’, World Economic Forum [website] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/united-nations-global-mental-health-crisis-covid19-pandemic/ (Accessed 2 June 2021)
[2] J.K Kopinak, “Mental Health in Developing Countries: Challenges and Opportunities in Introducing Western Mental Health System in Uganda”, International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and Aids, 2015,pp. 22-30
[3] Kelland, “UN mental health crisis”
[4] R.Dybdahl, “Mental health is an integral part of the sustainable development goals”, Prev Med Commun Health, 2017
[5] J. Grierson, “Calls to domestic abuse helpline in England up by 60% over past year” The Guardian, [website] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/23/domestic-abuse-covid-lockdown-women-refuge
[Accessed 25 May 2021].
[6] UK Government, “Mental health recovery plan backed by £500 million”, London: Department of Health and Social Care, 2021
[7] Claire Henderson, Evans-Lacko, S. & Thornicroft, G, “Mental Illness Stigma, Help Seeking, and Public Health Programs”, American Journal of Public Health, 2013, 103(5), pp. 777-780.
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Rebecca can be contacted at: rebecca2001newman@gmail.com