If you consider yourself a mentally healthy member of society, then you may be wrong. Almost everyone has mental problems, regardless of age, race or class, and the degree of their obviousness increases every day.
Here are 10 little-known facts about mental health and overall well-being.
Most mental health problems are neither serious nor permanent. Having mental illness doesn't mean banging your head against a wall or throwing a knife at people. The spectrum of severity can range from subtle to severe.
The generally accepted definition of the term "mental health" as "a state of well-being in which a person realizes his abilities" is too vague, and if you wish, it is very easy to miss the cockroach of a mild form of insanity hidden behind the subconscious.
Statistics say that today in the world 300 million suffer from depression, and 4% of the population suffer from various anxiety disorders. These two types of psycho-malaise are a real scourge of our time.
***
By 2050, about 152 million people are guaranteed to suffer from some form of dementia, with 68% of them in low- and middle-income countries. And by 2030, annual spending on dementia will reach $ 2 trillion.
Every 3 seconds the world is diagnosed with dementia (impaired memory, thinking, behavior and ability to perform daily activities, general degradation), with Alzheimer's disease being the most common cause. That is, the increase is 10 million potential patients per year.
Promotional video:
***
Eco-anxiety joins the already long list of 21st century personality anxiety disorders. In 2019, 68% of the world's population considered climate change a serious threat.
Unfortunately, those who have the opportunity to influence the root cause of neurosis, and those who are worried that their children will not get even a breath of clean air and water, are completely different people, therefore a huge number of people experience a feeling of absolute helplessness and are forced to watch the destruction of the familiar environment.
***
Yes, psychologists are not showered with bras, but mental problems are differentiated by gender as well.
Data suggests that depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and bipolar disorder are more common in women, while men are more prone to schizophrenia and drug and alcohol use disorders.
The most obvious reasons for women to go crazy are childbirth, early pregnancy, and the “double burden” of unpaid domestic work combined with main work.
***
You are what you eat - not only physiologically, but, as it turns out, psychologically as well. The mental state of a person is directly related to his relationship with food. But the choice of products, in turn, affects the final result and state of mind.
For example, those who consume Mediterranean food are 33% less likely to suffer from depression, and the Washoku tradition, recognized as one of the healthiest diets in the world, lowers the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 36%.
A favorable atmosphere for microorganisms in the intestines is the secret of longevity and well-being, both for the body and the brain. It is significant that the symptoms of depression are always combined with the absence of specific bacteria.
***
Sleep is just as important as food. Despite the improvement in everyday life and the emergence of gadgets designed to save time, modern people sleep less and less. As a result of research conducted in 2019, it turned out that the Frenchman's sleep is sensitive and disturbing, and lasts no more than 6 hours and 42 minutes a day. And 35.9% of the world's population sleeps less than 6 hours a day.
Accumulated sleep debt can lead to adverse demographic consequences. A direct relationship has already been established between lack of sleep and many chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression).
***
About half of all cases of mental illness begin before age 14, and by age 25, 75% of adolescent problems become permanent damage. 10% of children and adolescents suffer from clinically diagnosed mental illnesses, which lead to some form of disability already in adulthood.
But serious consequences can be avoided if the disease is diagnosed and treatment is started as early as possible.
***
There is a close relationship between social status and the development of common mental disorders. Studies show that the more inequality in society, the more likely a range of mental health problems - all kinds of addictions, chronic diseases, self-isolation, as well as social problems - a decrease in life expectancy, an increase in infant mortality, a decrease in educational levels, social mobility and an increase in the level of violence.
And the less money the population has, it is less inclined to spend it on psychologists, but even in high-income countries only 35% - 50% of seriously mentally disturbed people receive treatment.
***
Burnout comes at a cost to health care systems every year. Working conditions play a huge role in human life, as the consequences of stress are increasingly recognizable, and very often they are the causes of physical or mental exhaustion.
Indifference and a state of dissatisfaction have long ceased to be personal problems of family life, and have become a problem of the state.
***
An Instagram account is a huge mental health hazard. Although it would seem that the modern world has opened its arms for everyone who wants to communicate, the depth of loneliness and disunity in the world is growing.
Social isolation (partial or complete lack of contact between a person and society) is the cause of many especially dangerous mental disorders.
Contrary to the original idea of the creators of social platforms, social networks do not contribute to the friendship of peoples, but in fact enhance the feeling of loneliness among individuals. And the more intensively young people use social networks, the more often they experience isolation, cyberbullying and withdrawal symptoms.