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SITE LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
Hello friends!!
How have you been? Today, we are going to talk about mental health. Zari, can you help me?
Of course!! Mental health refers to a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It involves the individual's ability to manage stress, relate to others, and make decisions causing it to be an essential aspect of overall health, just as physical health is.
Exactly! Additionally, mental health is not a static state which means that it can change over time in response to various factors, including biological, environmental, and psychological influences. Some conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, can affect a person's thoughts, feelings, and behavior, potentially impacting their daily functioning.
Fostering both the promotion and prevention of mental illness is crucial. This involves implementing approaches to enhance mental well-being on both individual and community scales. It encompasses tackling elements that contribute to mental health challenges and guaranteeing availability of high-quality mental health services. But unfortunately, there are some stigmas and taboos associated to mental health.
Unfortunately, the stigma associated with mental illnesses is primarily due to societal prejudices, misconceptions, and bias. This results in unfair stereotyping and increased difficulties for individuals struggling with disorders. Various factors contribute to the onset and development of mental illnesses, including genetic predisposition, environmental stressors, traumatic experiences, and social determinants such as poverty, unemployment, and social isolation. These factors can trigger or worsen mental health challenges, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and comprehensive support.
Yea! And these factors increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a major impact in various countries like Portugal. The pandemic, particularly the social isolation and remote work, brought about changes in routines, and the widespread use of technology has resulted in a state of being 'always-on.' What we once knew as distinct working and personal/family spaces is no longer clearly defined. This isolation has contributed to an increase in diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, stress, and other types of disturbances.
Did you know, Zari, that Portugal has the highest proportion of women reporting chronic depression in the EU, and the sixth-highest level among men? Some studies indicate that around 57% of the Portuguese population experiences some form of psychological distress. And did you know that mental health disorders surpass oncological diseases in the country, accounting for 16% of identified disorders in Portugal, being 7,9% from depression and 16,5 for anxiety disorders?
Oh no, I didn’t know! Please tell me more.
The heightened rates of anxiety and depression, culminating in a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, underscore the severity of the mental health challenges in Portugal. In tackling these issues, the Portuguese mental health system, grappling with obstacles like constrained resources and a scarcity of specialized professionals, has displayed commendable progress. Despite concerted efforts, there remains a pressing need for expanded investment in mental health services, especially in rural areas. Simultaneously, there is a call for sustained training and support for mental health professionals. While the system's performance is on a gradual upswing, maintaining a dedicated focus and allocating resources are imperative to effectively address the burgeoning mental health needs within the population.
And are there any projects or institutions in Portugal helping with the population’s mental health?
Yes, fortunately there’s many! For example, FNERDM (Federação Nacional de Entidades de Reabilitação de Doentes Mentais) is an institution formed in 1997 and their mission is to develop psychosocial rehabilitation services in the field of mental illness. They make campaigns to bring awareness about mental health and mental illnesses to the Portuguese population, as well as making changes in people’s attitudes towards mental problems. There are also other institutions like ENCONTRAR+SE, formed in 2006, whose mission is to contribute to the promotion of mental health and give access to best possible treatment of mental illness. They also intend to combat the stigma and discrimination in mental illness present in the Portuguese society, which prevents people from talking openly about the subject, from helping and/or asking for help and from treating mental illnesses effectively, just like FNERDM.
Oh, it’s great that many institutions like those exist in Portugal! But what about the situation in other countries? How is the mental health of the rest of the world’s population?
Actually, the early years of the 21st century have witnessed a worldwide epidemic of poor mental health and related illnesses. But while depression is the condition most will associate with mental health issues, and the leading cause of disability worldwide, it is not the number one mental health concern people face.
An estimated 275 million people suffer from anxiety disorders. That’s around 4% of the global population, with a spread of between 2.5% and 6.5% of population per country. Around 62% of those suffering from anxiety is female (170 million), compared with 105 million male sufferers. Moreover, in Europe, an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon in the 27 countries of the EU plus the UK shows that the countries with the highest mental disorder mortality rates are the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Portugal. The categories most affected by the phenomenon are women and people over 65.
Oh, I also heard that Portugal is the country with the highest levels of depression world-wide, is that correct?
Sadly, it is. Around 7,9% of the population suffers from it, leading to suicide having a mortality rate of 8.8 per 100,000.
I think we should do something to bring awareness to all these problems with mental health in the World.
I think that’s a great idea Zari! Let’s go get the others!