It is no secret that mental health has been on the decline for years now across all continents. We have seen this trend in multiple studies that have been conducted across the world. In particular, the World Health Organization (WHO) has found a direct correlation between the start of the coronavirus pandemic shutdown and declining mental health. Most people report feeling depressed or anxious and many families are stressed about the financial impact that the pandemic has had on them or their loved ones. Others are lonely in isolation as they are quarantined for contact tracing or have the actual virus. Due to the fact that mental health is a relatively new topic to the media and conversations are just now becoming less taboo, countries around the world are now recognizing the importance of maintaining good mental health; especially at a time when everyone is wrapped up in another health crisis.
One country in particular that has realized the importance of mental health at a time when physical health is poor is Malta. This small country is a southern European island country with a population estimated to be around 514,560. Despite their physical size and their population size, Malta has recognized the importance of mental health and has used their Office of the Commissioner for Mental Health to make the 10th of October every year World Mental Health Day. Malta has started a campaign that is called “Move for mental health: let’s invest.” This campaign was started in 2020 based on studies across Europe that found that nearly 120,000 people in Malta are living with a mental disorder. This initiative shows Malta’s governmental commitment to their citizens and their willingness to make mental health a priority in the midst of a global pandemic. This declaration of a mental health day and campaign is also a push for other European governments to follow Malta’s lead.
While there is still much work to be done as far as mental health being treated as seriously as physical health, the 42 Member States in the WHO European Region have started to move in the direction of making mental health care more accessible. Based on the table, we see that most countries in Europe are making efforts governmentally, financially, and socially to make mental health more available for their citizens. By writing policies and documents that help European citizens with their mental health, Europe will be better prepared to handle the aftermath of the mental health decline that comes from the pandemic. The shift seen in European countries to address mental health is comparative to that of the United States’ shift in some aspects. The U.S. has (relatively) recently recognized the negative effects that school stress and bullying can have on students and has implemented some laws and policies to improve mental health. The shift to improve mental health measures across the world correlates to the current coronavirus pandemic as mental health itself is a pandemic.
https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/96450/E91732.pdf
https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/mental-health/news/news/2020/10/world-mental-health-day-2020-malta-launches-campaign-move-for-mental-health-lets-invest!
3 comments:
I really enjoyed this post because I feel to often mental health is overlooked in everyday life, especially during a pandemic. The graphs were easy to read and the article was written well.
It is so interesting how even during Covid time you are able to find an even deadlier pandemic. However it would have been fascinating to see a correlation between how Covid has also impacted mental health in Europe and even around the world. Still great piece and a good way to bring awareness even during these times where a subject like can be pushed aside.
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