Why is Mental Health a Rising Concern?2 min read

Mental health problems do not discriminate which could have serious problems with even famous and rich people harming themselves and in some extreme cases, taking their own lives.

The beloved Oscar-winning actor, Robin Williams took his own life in 2014 which shocked the world. While the main cause was due to a neurological disease, depression was the main factor which got the discussion going.

Suicide is the leading cause of death men under the age of 40 in the United Kingdom and there are similar patterns across other Western countries. Mental health has become a focal point in political discussions with the British government having been tasked by the Queen in 2017 to reform and prioritise mental health.

The rise of mental health problems could be contributed to the advancement of technology and more people are disclosing their problems instead of keeping it to themselves due to social stigmas.

With the advent of 24-hour-cycle news channels, many people witness major catastrophes from their home like the 9/11 attacks in New York, leaving a distinctive memory in many minds including children at the time or televised wars which shows the reality of destruction and death instead of the romanticised version the government or movies want us to believe.

Nowadays, you can easily access the latest news from all over the world from your smartphone which tends to be information that is depressing. Moreover, the internet has revolutionised how we communicate and present ourselves to the world.

Social media websites like Facebook and Instagram are criticised for the rise of mental health problems amongst younger users. The anonymity of the internet takes away the accountability of the user which allows them to easily bully or harass another person without any repercussions.

On the other hand, the internet allowed people who have similar mental health problems congregate and discuss their problems better than with their friends or family.

In the past couple of decades, the discussion surrounding mental health has shifted from not talking about it at all to publicly acknowledging the issue.

Discussing mental health issues tend to be a taboo especially amongst non-White ethnic groups, for instance, Black people in the United States are less likely to meet a therapist than White Americans due to the fear of being a social outcasted.

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