Sharing – Mental health for all?

The Commission report is, obviously, based on what was found in the UK. I have little doubt that similar realities exist in just about every country. And, just about every country can look not just at this overview, but also some of the more detailed information and recommendations from the PDF and find relevant information.

“Mental Health for All? finds that mental health inequalities mirror wider economic and social inequalities. Wealth and power inequalities put at risk the mental health of people experiencing poverty, racial injustice and discrimination. This creates sharp social divisions, meaning that many groups of people face two or three times the risk of mental ill health. Yet the same groups of people find it harder to get help for their mental health, and in some cases also get poorer outcomes when they do.

 

This report highlights, however, that effective action is possible. It finds that mental health is made in communities, so action for mental health equality needs to begin in neighbourhoods, localities and community groups. And it needs to include schools, colleges, workplaces and charities.”

To be honest, this overview sounds a lot like what I’ve read from various sources about the US system as well, and it’s about time we started thinking about what support for mental health looks like in our own communities. Perhaps step one is just acknowledging that it is something that needs to be supported in OUR community, and not those “other” communities. That mental health issues exist among our own group, and if you don’t think they do, that may be a sign that you’ve stigmatized it for so long that no one wants to even admit they are struggling. The reason I think this is important, is because when we look at the inequality, it’s too easy to people to talk about “those” people, the poor, homeless, immigrants, etc. and once we start down that path, it’s too easy to forget that mental health support is something everyone should have access to, in some form or other. It’s a human problem, that demands we see all groups as fully human to solve.

https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/publications/mental-health-for-all