The mental health crisis keeps growing, especially for young people

The mental health crisis keeps growing, especially for young people. This is from the Guardian today.

Let's understand the context: rapidly escalating climate and environmental crises with no lifetime end point, permanent work and housing insecurity which most politicians have put in the too hard basket, and the unregulated 24/7 social media marketing industry encouraging the most detrimental comparisons of ourselves.

This is a social problem, not one that can be solved by overuse of pharmaceuticals (useful as these are sometimes for some people), or the shallow end of psychological interventions and the individual-focused wellness industry.

Open honest discussion and an encouragement to be more politically engaged and more connected with our friends are essential to see we are not alone, that it is the system that is sick, and that it is collectively that we are more powerful.

For people who have survived trauma specific therapy is essential, but all of us are subject to the sense of powerlessness that underpins this explosion of anxiety and depression. Allowing counsellors access to Medicare would be a step forward. Creating public mental health clinics not just for people in acute crisis is another crucial step.

But let's get to the core problem: the growing sense of powerlessness and lack of control. Governments acting more urgently and transparently on climate and biodiversity, taking much bigger steps to create housing and job security, and regulating social media to reduce its negative impact will all help. What could be more important?